Key Takeaways
Perplexity integrates AI-generated ads into search results through sponsored follow-up questions.
Perplexity says these ads will not influence search results and the company remains committed to providing unbiased answers to queries.
Partnership with brands like Whole Foods & Indeed helps monetize the search engine.
It turns out you can’t get away from ads, no matter where you go on the internet. Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine hoping to supplant Google for internet searches, got a taste of that sweet ad money and decided it likes it.
RelatedAI (not Google’s) for the win!
Perplexity announced its first foray into ad monetization today (via TechCrunch). The ads are part of an experiment Perplexity is conducting with ‘sponsored questions.’ These appear as suggested follow-up questions to a query, and some of them are paid placements. The company assures users that these ads will not impact the impartiality of search results, and that these sponsored questions are clearly marked.
They finally figured out how to slip ads into AI
There are actually two types of ad placement in the new Perplexity search results. There are sponsored follow-up questions and side-positioned paid media. For example, if a user searches for a job on Perplexity, a related sponsored question could be "How can I use LinkedIn to enhance my job search?"
A side-positioned paid media spot is an ad placed to the side of the main content, likely in a designated area or panel. It’s basically the tried-and-true banner ad that has been around the internet since the 1990s.
Perplexity says these ads are generated solely by the company’s AI, and advertisers cannot edit or influence the content. Perplexity believes this ad structure allows brands to reach audiences without compromising the platform’s objective answers.
Ads follow hot on the heels of AI search
RelatedClaim your unexpected perk
Google is the king of search result ads. Microsoft tries, and is experimenting with different ways to provide ad-supported AI tools, with sponsored results in the Bing chatbot. Perplexity is taking a different route. The company hopes partnerships with brands like Whole Foods and Indeed will provide the ad revenue it needs without affecting its search results.
Perplexity’s experiment is ongoing in the US-only. Whether it builds a sustainable revenue model without altering its core mission of delivering unbiased and high-quality answers remains to be seen. As the company gets more popular, ad money is sure to begin to influence its corporate decisions. Just look at what happened to Google.
{Categories} _Category: Applications{/Categories}
{URL}https://www.androidpolice.com/perplexity-ads/{/URL}
{Author}Nathan Drescher{/Author}
{Image}https://static1.anpoimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/perplexity-home-page-hero.jpeg{/Image}
{Keywords}Artificial Intelligence,search,AI & Machine Learning,Artificial Intelligence (AI),search{/Keywords}
{Source}Applications{/Source}
{Thumb}{/Thumb}
