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Google AI Ultra

(blog.google)
320 points mfiguiere | 7 comments | 20 May 25 18:20 UTC | HN request time: 0.831s | source | bottom
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Workaccount2 ◴[20 May 25 19:25 UTC] No.44044983[source]▶
I suspect Google sees the writing on the wall, and needs to move to a more subscription based business model. I don't think the ad model of the internet is dead, but I also don't think it was particularly successful. People block ads rather than forgo those services, ads conditioned people to think everything on the internet is free, and the actual monetization of ad views makes people pretty uncomfortable.

So here we are, with Google now wading into the waters of subscriptions. It's a good sign for those who are worried about AI manipulating them to buy things, and a bad sign for those who like the ad model.

Is the future going to be everyone has an AI plan, just like a phone plan, or internet plan, that they shell out $30-$300/mo to use?

I honestly would greatly prefer it if it meant privacy, but many people seem to greatly prefer the ad-model or ad-subsidized model.

ETA: Subscription with ads is ad-subsidized. You pay less but watch more ads.

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1. aceazzameen ◴[20 May 25 19:26 UTC] No.44044997[source]▶
It will eventually be subscriptions PLUS ads combined.
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2. continuational ◴[20 May 25 19:38 UTC] No.44045112[source]▶
YouTube is probably the most expensive streaming app, and there are still ads (sponsored sections) in nearly every video.
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3. tintor ◴[20 May 25 19:42 UTC] No.44045148[source]▶
Sponsored sections are baked into video and very easy to skip.

Unlike platform ads which disable video control while the ad is playing.

4. jeffbee ◴[20 May 25 19:43 UTC] No.44045166[source]▶
Cannot find any factual basis for the claim that YTP is the most expensive streaming app. Is this the case in some non-US market?
5. jerjerjer ◴[20 May 25 19:55 UTC] No.44045275[source]▶
> ads (sponsored sections) in nearly every video.

SponsorBlock for YouTube resolves the issue.

6. conductr ◴[20 May 25 20:04 UTC] No.44045354[source]▶
No idea if this is right but based on AI summary google results, annual operating costs for Youtube is ~$3B-5B and Netflix is ~$25B-30B. While YT probably spends most on CDN/bandwidth, they have a mostly free content cost which is by far Netflix's largest expense
7. iamdelirium ◴[20 May 25 20:05 UTC] No.44045366[source]▶
By that metric, every streaming platform has ads since they serve movies with product placement.