AI Experiences > Ads — Competing for the World’s Last Scarce Resource
In 2025 the bottleneck isn’t compute or creative talent—it’s human attention. Large‑language models, real‑time video synthesis and agentic workflows have made it trivial to flood every feed with “personalised” content. What’s scarce now is the minutes users will actually give you. Our deep‑dive unpacks why brands are swapping 30‑second spots for AI‑generated worlds that people actively inhabit—and what that means for Search, Programmatic, Social and E‑commerce strategy.
Key Facts
| Signal | Detail |
|---|
| Attention as currency | Gen Z spends 108 min/day in TikTok’s AI‑curated feed, squeezing TV below 45 min |
| Experience > Impression | BMW’s generative‑video ads drove +23 % engagement per dollar vs static creative |
| Monetisation shift | AI–companionship app Tolan hit $36 M in 45 days—no ads, pure subscription & micro‑transactions |
| Toolchain | Mirage (live video style‑transfer), Decart, Snap Lens Studio, OpenAI Agent, Mistral deep‑research stack |
| Ethical flashpoint | AI engines now track dwell‑time, facial cues & sentiment; regulators eye “manipulative design” rules |
Why It Matters for Every Channel
| Channel | From ▶ | To ▶ | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Search | Buying keywords to grab clicks | Agent‑ready content that LLMs can cite & re‑mix | Schema‑rich, machine‑readable product feeds > meta‑descriptions |
| Programmatic | RTB display banners | Immersive units—AI‑personalised mini‑games or AR trials | DSPs must ingest 1P traits & render creative on the edge |
| Social | Short‑form ads | Conversational AI companions that upsell inside chat | Meta AI stickiness beats CPM; success = retention minutes |
| E‑commerce | Carousel ads to PDP | Try‑before‑buy AR + agentic checkout flows | TACoS shifts from “ad spend ÷ sales” to “attention minutes ÷ sales” |
Attention‑Native Monetisation Models
| Model | Mechanics | Example KPI |
|---|
| Freemium + Micro‑spend | Free AI world → pay to unlock skins, GPT advice, virtual events | ARPU / min of attention |
| Subscription Companions | “Alien best friend” chatbots gated after 10 messages | Churn D‑30 |
| Contextual API Slots | Brands expose real‑time stock/API → agents surface offers in task flows | Conversions / agent call |
| Shoppable Streams | AI‑remixed live‑video where products morph on‑screen | Avg watch length & SSR% |
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Deeper engagement | minutes not seconds | Creative overhead: need 3‑D assets, real‑time render |
| Higher ROAS | from self‑selected, high‑intent users | Attribution dark spots—agents mask referral paths |
| Diversified revenue | beyond CPM/CPA | Ethical scrutiny over persuasive design & minors |
| Cross‑channel portability | same assets feed AR, VR, chat | Tech stack sprawl (Gen‑AI video, AR SDKs, vector DB) |
Strategic To‑Dos for Agencies & Brands
- Build an Attention P&L — Track minutes engaged & return per minute alongside classic ROAS.
- Ship Immersive MVPs Quickly — Use Snap AR Lens or Web‑XR + Gen‑AI video to test 30‑day pilots; measure dwell & repeat visits.
- Make Content Agent‑Consumable — Provide product data, brand style & safety rules as JSON / OpenAPI so ChatGPT Agent & Mistral tools can retrieve and remix without hallucination.
- Rethink Attribution — Adopt server‑side events & on‑device conversion APIs—click paths vanish when agents transact on behalf of users.
- Institute an Ethics Board — Define red‑lines on biometric emotion tracking and “infinite scroll traps” before regulators do it for you.
🤖 Quick Demo Prompt
{
"role": "system",
"content": "You are a brand‑experience generator. Tools: arStudio.createTryOn(model3D,url), mirage.liveFilter(url,styleId), stripe.checkout(session)."
}
{
"role": "user",
"content": "Launch a virtual pop‑up where sneakerheads can try the new AirZoom in AR, remix the colorway live, and buy the limited drop."
}
The agent will:
- Call arStudio.createTryOn → publish a Web‑AR link.
- Offer mirage.liveFilter choices to repaint the shoe in real‑time.
- On Buy, trigger stripe.checkout with the chosen variant.
Longer‑Term Questions
- Search ads vs Agent slots — does Google auction “attention pods” inside Deep Search instead of keywords?
- Creative org chart — are we hiring VR level‑designers rather than banner designers?
- Retail media — will Walmart’s LLM become a paid placement channel inside their shopping agent?
Further Reading
Prepared by Performics Labs — translating frontier AI into actionable marketing playbooks.