Former OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig resigned due to the company’s decision to integrate advertising into ChatGPT, expressing distrust toward her former employer in a New York Times commentary. Hitzig acknowledges that while advertising isn’t inherently negative, it poses a significant risk when personal information shared by users—such as medical fears and relationship problems—becomes a marketing tool. She draws parallels to Facebook and Google, which diluted their data protection promises under advertising pressures. OpenAI, already optimizing for user engagement metrics, faces scrutiny as it prepares for a public offering, heightening the stakes for revenue growth. Hitzig is cautious about OpenAI’s commitment to keeping ads separate from content, predicting potential violations of these principles. She advocates for alternatives like cross-subsidies, independent oversight, and data cooperatives, emphasizing the need for rigorous examination of OpenAI’s advertising practices moving forward, especially in the context of user privacy and ethical AI development.
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