July 29, 2025 – At present, AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude rely mainly on paid subscriptions for revenue instead of incorporating advertisements. However, as the development of AI models demands massive investments in training, specialized chips, and data center construction, there’s growing concern that these AI systems might start showing ads to users to boost their income.
According to a report from Neowin tonight, Mark Cuban, the American billionaire investor, voiced his opinion on the X platform. He believes that the government should pass legislation to ban AI models from displaying advertisements.
Cuban emphasized, “What we least need are algorithms designed to maximize revenue, as this could impact the output and interaction of large language models. These models are already recommending brands, but we have no way of knowing if they’re getting paid for it.”
He argued that since AI models have become an integral part of our daily lives, users should be able to trust that the responses from these models won’t be influenced by the pursuit of maximum revenue. Cuban did say he could accept the presence of ads in AI systems as long as they are clearly labeled as advertisements and kept completely separate from user – generated conversations.
The report also revealed that Cuban predicted that the “free versions” of current AI models will remain free for a while. But in the long run, they will be promoted through bundled services offered by phone carriers, broadband providers, and device manufacturers. “There’s a ‘winner – takes – all’ mentality among the largest AI models. So, they’ll try to spread the basic version to every device possible and then make money through subscription upgrades,” he said.
