Social media platform X will introduce ads within its AI chatbot Grok, the Financial Times reported.
The company’s owner Elon Musk announced during a live chat on Wednesday that advertisers will be allowed to pay to appear in the AI chatbot’s query results.
“If a user’s trying to solve a problem, then advertising the specific solution would be ideal at that point,” said Musk.
Musk also highlighted plans to automate the advertising process and improve targeting for ads.
Grok will also reportedly plan to introduce a feature that prioritises the best performing, and best looking, ads, and provide a checkout within the chatbot so users can make purchases remaining in the app.
Whether brands will be interested in advertising within X is another question, as the platform and its owner continues to stir controversy. Last month, Grok received backlash after responding to users’ prompts praising Hitler.
Ads in AI Chatbots
The introduction of ads in Grok signals a broader shift in how AI chatbots could generate revenue, with implications across the industry.
So far, most chatbots have made revenue from subscription models – charging consumers and businesses fees to use the upgraded versions of the platform.
OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, said there are no plans to include ads in its chatbot responses yet, claiming this would negatively compromise the user experience.
As platforms race to monetise Gen AI, advertising is emerging as a viable, if controversial, option. The challenge lies in balancing monetisation with trust and usability.
Poorly placed or manipulative ads could damage user confidence, particularly in sensitive or high-stakes queries. As AI tools become more embedded in daily life, how and when ads appear will be closely scrutinised.
