this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2026
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OpenAI wants you to believe that by 2030, it’ll be raking in $100 billion a year just from ads alone - even though it’s currently struggling to reach just $1 billion.

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[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 1 points 55 minutes ago

The whole idea of ads being added to AI chatbots make them seem even more useless and unreliable to me. They already predict shit that can be called "outright lie" without adding even more lies in the form of advertisements.

Especially where they are being used for productivity, which kinda reeks of them eventually charging even more so that your email summary doesn't include a blurb about whether you should crave the same brawno that plants do (unless it's there because the AI used to write the email was the one that inserted the ad) or to prevent your vibecoded mess from getting stuck in a taco bell-sponsored spam loop.

[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 21 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Good. Die faster and take Oracle with you.

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 13 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Oracle might go first, their credit rating was downgraded again to BBB-. So banks are even less likely to loan anything to them

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The Ellison's don't care, they've already fished that pond empty. They're in the propaganda business now.

[–] GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

They can't close on the Warner deal yet (court ordered the deal be paused for 28 days to consider blocking it), and if the courts hold up the merger for a few months, and Oracle stock plummets based on their bad investments, the Ellisons' personal guarantee on the purchase price might not be enough to actually complete the merger.

I don't think it's very likely, but I can dream, at least for now.

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 7 points 8 hours ago

I want to punch both Larry Ellison and Sam Altman in the face so bad. Clearly neither of them have ever been punched in the face, and their time is due.

[–] TomMasz@piefed.social 9 points 8 hours ago

For most companies, this would be a fireable offense. But that's yesterday's thinking.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 10 points 9 hours ago

Tangentially, is there a single picture of Altman that doesn't instantly read as "insane sack of shit"?

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 7 points 9 hours ago

When growing up, if people needed or wanted a new product that was offered, they would purchase it. Nowadays it is forced upon you.

[–] StillAlive@piefed.world 89 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

90% isn't 'falling short'. It's 'barely starting'.

[–] rimu@piefed.social 42 points 14 hours ago

It's "get a new business model"

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 7 points 13 hours ago

these AI companies are looking for the suckers and loser retailers and other industry to hold the bag.

[–] Trampampoline@sh.itjust.works 17 points 12 hours ago
[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 9 hours ago

This would get you blacklisted in any other industry

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 34 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

nearing 1 of 100 is 99% short, is it not?

[–] rimu@piefed.social 26 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

The 100 bn is "by 2030". I guess their interim target for this year is much less than 100. Maybe the target is $10 billion and they achieved $1 billion.

[–] Hegar@fedia.io 18 points 14 hours ago

Yeah this whole thing is missing some crucial information.

The paragraph quoted in the post makes it sound like they are near $1b in revenue but i think they're just speaking rhetorically, "you want 100? You can't even get 1!"

In 2026, Emarketer projects that the combination of OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon will bring in under $1 billion in ad revenue. For context, OpenAI had projected that its AI ad revenue alone would hit $2.5 billion by the end of this year.

This makes it sound like openai is projected to make $250m this year, if they're 90% short of revenue projections for this year. That's a full 25% of the $1b total ad revenue that OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon make combined. Which is reasonable, but it does make their projections seem absolutely farcical. At least to me, but i don't know finances.

It would be good to check rhe original analysis the article cites but it's paywalled and begins with the same misleading comparison of 2030 to now.

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

They haven’t turned ads fully on yet lol. This site just want you to click and think you’re winning.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 1 points 7 hours ago

Burn baby burn!

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 22 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)
[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 12 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

a ponzi scheme worst than the crypto one.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Between Altman and Bankman-Fried, these scammers are giving Sams a bad name.

[–] Alk@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Name a good Sam to balance it out

[–] logi@lemmy.world 1 points 16 minutes ago

Sam Neil 😢

[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 17 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

You love to see it. Bravo Scam Altman, bravo.

[–] inari@piefed.zip 10 points 11 hours ago

I read this in Ed Zitron's voice

[–] Hairyfishnuts@feddit.online 13 points 15 hours ago

Damn and I was really pulling for em too. Oh well. Guess I'll have to find another champion to root for. In the mean time y'all ought to close it down for awhile until you figure your shit out. We can wait 50 more years or so. It could save you a lot of money if you'll just listen.