Op-ed: Advertising – The Driving Force Behind the AI Boom and an Existential Risk
Published Nov 5, 2025 – by Joe Marchese, Executive Chairman, Human Ventures
The rise in artificial intelligence changes markets and money systems. Spending and tech moves bind closely. OpenAI launched an AI browser, and that act quickens the AI race. Look closer and see advertising as the spark that drives both fast growth and rising risks.
The AI Boom and its Economic Impact
Money flows into AI now match the levels of war spending. Billions back new systems and chip work. One Harvard economist links 92% of U.S. growth in early 2025 to AI spending. This tie binds spending and economic lift.
Advertising: The Internet’s Business Engine
Advertising built the roads we travel online. Google first used ads in search and showed how word pairs connect people to products. Meta created an ad system that counts clicks and user focus. Amazon spices its sales with ads, so retailers like Walmart, Kroger, Uber, and DoorDash start their own channels.
AI helps sort search terms, craft suggestions, and predict what buyers will do. That link makes commerce grow beyond basic ads. Giants such as Google, Meta, and Amazon earn much from ads, then use that money to build more AI systems.
The Existential Risk to Advertising Models
The same AI that supports these firms may shake the ad model. AI can change how people seek info, shop, or browse content. Imagine if answers come fast without any clicks; if shopping online shifts in style; if content flows straight to you. Such shifts cut short the old ad chains holding up their profits.
Why Are Big Tech Giants Betting on AI?
Big firms chase more than growth. They search for machines that handle many tasks better than humans. They also work to keep their ad methods secure. Sam Altman at OpenAI called some new AI systems “first at-scale misaligned AIs” when they change ad feeds, a sign their models face new tests.
Companies such as OpenAI and Microsoft, which do not count most on ads, stir AI progress and mix the market further.
What Lies Ahead?
This moment in AI is not like past tech booms. The top firms now have strong profits and steady ad links. But if AI shifts or cracks the ad method, market shocks may come hard and fast. Google, Meta, and Amazon seem best set to adjust and shape fresh ideas. They have tied AI into their ads for many years. Still, a new way to link search, shopping, and online use may need fresh cash flows that step away from ads.
The Hidden Truth Behind AI Investment Spending
Every dollar spent on new AI tools may work not just to find new income but to hold tight the large sums earned from ads. That bond is key to seeing why AI shapes today’s markets and brings big risks ahead.
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