The AI advertising revolution will be televised — and you can't escape it...

First it ratcheted up subscription fees. Then it introduced ads. Now Netflix has hit on a new wheeze: AI-tuned ads that will seamlessly integrate into whatever you're watching.

- Chris Stokel-Walker

Hit pause on Squid Game and you could see a stark, futuristic backdrop onto which an advertiser's product is superimposed, said Amy Reinhard, Netflix's president of advertising. She was speaking at the company's most recent Upfront event, where it unveils its latest shows. The streaming firm was showcasing “a new modular framework for ad formats that leverages generative AI to instantly marry advertisers’ ads with the worlds of our shows,” Reinhard said.

Advertisers could insert Al-generated ads into shows seamlessly, or present them on screens when viewers hit pause. It was their choice, she said.