YouTube’s Anti-Adblock Campaign Fails Against Innovative AR App: Google Gemini AI Blocks Real-World Billboards

Recently, Google has intensified efforts to restrict playback of YouTube videos for users with ad blockers, creating a persistent struggle against users finding ways to avoid ads. In a notable development, Belgian engineer Stijn Spanhove has created an augmented reality (AR) app that identifies and blocks real-world advertisements, using Snap’s fifth-generation AR Spectacles and Google’s Gemini AI. The app, still in experimental stages, has the ability to suppress ads found on billboards, packaging, and other locations by covering them with a red square displaying the brand’s name. Although not yet perfect, it represents an intriguing step toward giving users control over the advertising they encounter in their everyday lives. The app is currently limited to Snap’s platform, but it holds potential for adaptation on other AR devices, raising exciting possibilities for the future of personalized content consumption. As development progresses, users have suggested ways to enhance its aesthetic appeal.

Source link