ChatGPT Pulse is just Facebook’s playbook with better marketing

ChatGPT Pulse: A Modern Reiteration of Facebook’s Surveillance Playbook

Recently, OpenAI unveiled a new feature called ChatGPT Pulse, promising users personalized daily summaries by analyzing their chats, calendar events, emails, and connected applications. Marketed as a helpful digital assistant, it’s easy to overlook the underlying implications: a sophisticated form of digital surveillance repackaged as a convenience feature.

A Familiar Strategy Revisited

This approach isn’t groundbreaking; it mirrors a strategy pioneered by tech giants two decades ago. Initially, companies introduced genuinely useful functionalities to attract users—think of early social media platforms providing simple communication tools. Over time, these platforms gradually expanded their data collection capabilities—what might start as “connecting your calendar” could evolve into comprehensive access to your entire digital footprint. The goal: craft an ecosystem that maximizes user dependency while gathering data to serve targeted advertisements.

The Business Dilemma

From an economic perspective, the situation is revealing. OpenAI reportedly spends approximately $5 billion annually, generating around $3.7 billion in revenue—an imbalance that signals high operational costs rather than profitability. This financial reality indicates that OpenAI’s current model is more akin to a costly venture backed by venture capital, with the expectation of future monetization rather than current profits. Evidence of this is seen in their preparations for advertising infrastructure, aiming to introduce targeted ads to hundreds of millions of users by 2026.

The Dystopian Horizon

The integration of advertising within AI responses raises concerns about subtle manipulation. Instead of traditional banner ads, users might encounter recommendations seamlessly embedded within their conversations. For instance, asking about weekend plans could prompt sponsored resort suggestions, while financial inquiries might lead to promoted investment options—all designed to influence decisions without overt notices. As these systems learn more about individual preferences and behavioral patterns, the ability to subtly steer user choices increases exponentially.

Subscription Fees and Data Exploitation

Currently, ChatGPT Pulse is available for $200 per month to Pro subscribers. This premium cost essentially funds active testing phases of a surveillance apparatus that will, in time, be monetized through targeted advertising to free users. The “overnight briefs” and other features aren’t merely productivity tools; they’re training grounds for algorithms to identify moments when users are most susceptible to influence.

Privacy-Respecting Alternatives

Fortunately, alternatives exist. Local AI models such as Ollama and GPT4All run entirely on personal hardware, allowing users to keep their data private and maintain full