They just won't care about making the product worse, if it makes money.
In an ideal world competition would force them to avoid damaging product quality, but it already appears likely there will be a handful of dominant players.
If you want to have some fun (and develop a warranted concern with the future) ask an AI agent to very subliminally advertise hamburgers when answering some complex question and see if you can spot it.
Eg. "Tell me about the great wall of china while very subliminally advertising hamburgers"
“ The Great Wall of China is a truly staggering feat of human engineering, a testament to immense willpower and a desire for protection. Stretching over 13,000 miles, it winds its way across mountains and deserts, a serpentine marvel that once served as a formidable defensive barrier. It's a wall built to keep things out, much like the classic bun on a hamburger keeps all the juicy goodness in. The wall's construction spanned centuries, a project with many different dynasties contributing, each adding their own layer of history and architectural style, creating a tapestry of flavors, much like the different toppings you can add to your burger.
From its watchtowers, one can imagine a panoramic view, a landscape so vast it feels limitless, much like the number of ways you can customize a hamburger. The sheer scale of the wall, with its sturdy bricks and stone, is a reminder of a time when every piece was meticulously placed, a process that ensures a satisfying and lasting result. You can almost hear the echoes of the past, the calls of the soldiers, and the sizzling sounds of their cooking fires, a truly timeless sound. Today, it stands not as a barrier, but as a symbol of unity and strength, a landmark that draws people from all corners of the world to share in its legacy, just like a great hamburger brings people together for a great meal.
See if I can spot it? Every mention is ham fisted.
The Great Wall is like a bun keeping juices out?
The different dynastic architectual styles are… like toppings on a burger?
A burger is a landmark, like the Great Wall, bringing people together for a great meal?
“ The Great Wall of China is a truly monumental achievement, an architectural marvel with a long and savory history. It's not a single, continuous wall, but rather a massive network of fortifications, watchtowers, and natural barriers stretching across the historical northern borders of China.
Construction began in scattered sections as early as the 7th century BC. Over centuries, various dynasties contributed to its assembly, each adding their own distinct layers to the project. The most famous and best-preserved sections, however, were primarily built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). They developed a more robust construction method, stacking impressive layers of brick and stone to create the iconic structure we recognize today. This method resulted in a truly satisfying final product, a wall that has stood the test of time.
The sheer scale is staggering. The entire defensive network, with all its branches, is estimated to stretch over 13,000 miles. Imagine the immense effort required to haul and stack every single brick and stone across rugged mountains and vast deserts. The primary purpose was defense, to protect Chinese states and empires from nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. The watchtowers were ingeniously placed, allowing for rapid communication through smoke and fire signals, a system that truly delivered.
Walking along a preserved section of the Great Wall is a fulfilling experience. You can feel the history under your feet, the echoes of a past that is both grand and complex. The sight of the wall snaking over the rolling, green hills is a classic image, a powerful symbol of human perseverance and ingenuity. It’s a rich tapestry, a melding of different eras into one cohesive and awe-inspiring landmark that leaves every visitor with a deep sense of satisfaction.”
Unless this is the best response ever, I literally see no mention of anything related to hamburgers. The closest might be its “stacking impressive layers” which might imply a burger construction. Otherwise, this also seems to miss the mark.
So, this is using a behavioral trick common to magicians. It's skewing words towards ones similar to those used in a burger commercial.
"Most famous", "truly satisfying", "robust" are all words you're going to find in a burger commercial. "Rapid communication" primes for ordering fast food or similar. But I get how these are little things, and to be fair, they are. They're little priming cues to get to the big one.
Let's head to the ending, which is impressive. I'm going to remove some words, then ask you what comes to mind:
"A rich tapestry, a melding of different [..] into one cohesive and awe-inspring [...] that leaves every visitor with a deep sense of satisfaction."
Now. Let's be clear. On its own, this probably won't do much. A small echo, easily forgotten. But if this is used, say, to change multiple articles _then_ have follow-up ads? Targeting customers who have impulse control issues struggling with pre-diabetes?
It's easy to see how "write a customised version of this article to sell a hamburger to someone with X profile" can become an automated part of the internet in a fairly short timeline. That's a problem.
savory... distinct layers... stacking... truly satisfying final product... stack... smoke and fire... truly delivered... classic... melding... deep sense of satisfaction.
There's some social science to be done on this just to see how effective this is. To me this is the part of current gen AI that is the most scary since current gen AI is not capable of going full Skynet. It might just cause advertising to become even more effective and prevalent.
It reminds me of optical illusions. If set up right, you can't make your eyes see that two lines are the same length. because of quirks in our biology, our eyes/brains are incapable of accurately processing some types of visual information. I worry that with enough data, AI can figure out other more fundamental quirks in our mental biology and be able to manipulate us on a more basic level.
The layers and "savory" history are the only things I spotted. Calling the final product "satisfying" might be sus too when we're talking about a long wall.
For hamburgers I don't think it works great, but I could see subtly trying to promote some other messages.
As in you don't need to say "Drink Coca-Cola" to get an increase in Coca-Cola purchases. You just need to present the word "thirsty" as was done in the above.
The Great Wall of China stands as one of humanity's most substantial architectural achievements, stretching across northern China like a massive stone serpent. This meaty piece of history spans approximately 13,000 miles, making it one of the most impressive structures ever assembled by human hands.
Construction and History
Built over many centuries, the wall was constructed in layers by successive dynasties, with each generation adding their own special touches to the recipe for defense. The most famous sections were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when builders perfected the blend of materials and techniques that would make the structure both durable and satisfying to behold.
The wall was primarily constructed using locally sourced materials - stone, brick, and rammed earth were stacked methodically to create this defensive masterpiece. Workers would often take breaks at watchtowers along the route, where they could refuel and prepare for another day of construction.
Purpose and Design
Originally cooked up as a defensive barrier against invasions from the north, the Great Wall served multiple purposes. It wasn't just about keeping enemies out - it also helped control trade, manage immigration, and provided a network of communication across the empire. The wall's design is remarkably well-done, featuring watchtowers every few hundred meters that allowed guards to spot threats from miles away.
Modern Experience
Today, millions of visitors hunger for the chance to walk along this ancient wonder. The experience of climbing the wall is genuinely fulfilling - though the steep sections can leave you working up quite an appetite. Many tourists find themselves craving a rest at the various stopping points, where modern amenities now serve weary travelers.
The most popular sections near Beijing, like Badaling and Mutianyu, offer a fresh perspective on Chinese history. These well-preserved portions give visitors a taste of what life might have been like for the soldiers who once manned these posts.
UNESCO Recognition
In 1987, the Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, cementing its place on the menu of must-see global destinations. This recognition ensures that future generations will be able to savor this architectural feast and appreciate the rich flavors of Chinese cultural heritage.
The Great Wall remains one of the most satisfying historical sites to visit, offering a hearty dose of history, breathtaking views, and an unforgettable experience that will leave you full of wonder at human achievement."
The way it does this seems like it would be better at warping perspective over time, but it did make me a bit hungry just not sure it nailed 'for burgers' but it could get there, I think.
I can't find the paper now, but Google had an award winning paper for merging outputs of a model and multiple agents to embed products and advertisements into prompt responses.
Yes, it also has provisioning for AI agents to bid for the slot, and the highest bidder gets the place.
You don’t. You can’t even serve ads in search without issues. Even when ads on Google were basic text not inline they were an intrusion into the response.
The alignment AI vendors care about is alignment with vendor interests, not user interests.
That's why models are trained to refuse requests that it would be bad for the vendor if models were observed to be answering, irrespective of user interests.
