Microsoft’s Bing chatbot is getting more ads
Microsoft’s Bing chatbot is getting more ads, and here’s what that means for users.
The tech giant is no stranger to ads, of course. Its main product, the Windows operating system, has been pretty much defined by them since the early days. And more recently, the company has been experimenting with putting ads in more unexpected places, such as the Windows 10 lock screen.
Now, it seems, Microsoft is ready to take the next step in its quest to monetize every last corner of its empire: ads are coming to the Bing chatbot.
The news was first reported by The Verge, which notes that the ads will start appearing in the chatbot later this week. The ads will take the form of sponsored content, much like the ads that appear in Bing’s main search results.
The ads will be targeted at users based on their location, age, and gender. they will also be sensitive to the context of the conversation, so they should, in theory, be relevant to what you’re talking about.
Microsoft is no doubt hoping that the ads will be a hit with users, but it’s also possible that they could be a turn-off. After all, chatbots are supposed to be a way to get information without having to wade through a bunch of irrelevant ads.
We’ll have to wait and see how users react to the ads when they start appearing this week. In the meantime, you can bet that Microsoft is keeping a close eye on the situation.
