Google and Microsoft are placing ads in AI experiments without giving brands the option to opt out. Advertisers are now concerned that their products and services may be promoted alongside inappropriate content.
Why we care: Brands could be at risk of damaging their reputation if their products or services are advertised alongside inappropriate content. Digital marketers are asking Google and Microsoft to give them the opportunity to opt out of their ad placement experiments in response.
What is happening? Google announced last month that it planned to use existing search ads in experiments with its new generative search experience. The search engine also said that advertisers would not have the option to opt out, but would closely monitor the performance of ad placements during the experimental phase.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is experimenting with ads on its Bing AI chatbot. Again, advertisers do not have the option to opt out. However, despite their concerns, Bing’s new chatbot has so far received positive feedback from searchers, with 71% giving it the thumbs up in its launch week.
Have Google or Microsoft responded to the concerns? Both tech giants have said they are listening to the issues raised by advertisers and are actively working to address their feedback. However, because these ad placement experiments are still in the early stages of testing, marketers won’t have the option to opt out yet.
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How have advertisers responded? Digital marketers are concerned about the content their brands might be associated with and want to regain control over where their ads appear online. Some companies have temporarily pulled back their ad spending in response to these restrictions, they said Reuters. Others have described the practices as “not industry standard.”
What have Google and Microsoft said? We’ve asked Google and Microsoft for comment on our story, and we’ll update it if we hear back.
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