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Times Internet partners with Crain Communications to launch Ad Age India
MUMBAI: Times Internet (TIL), a premiere digital product company and the digital arm of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times of India Group has inked a partnership with Advertising Age to launch Advertising Age (Ad Age) India. Ad Age is the leading source of news, intelligence and conversation for the global marketing and media community. Ad Age India will combine the authoritative status of this marquee publication with the rapidly growing and evolving Indian media and marketing ecosystem to create a vibrant platform for the industry. In addition to a comprehensive coverage of the strategic topics, insights, news, trends and ideas across the region; Ad Age India will work with thought leaders across the industry to deliver value to its readers.
The alliance is a part of the Times Local Partners (TLP), a business unit of TIL that partners with global digital companies across publishing, product and platform to help them launch / grow in India, APAC & ME. Ad Age joins the growing TLP portfolio, which has already rolled out the Indian editions of Askmen, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Techradar, Remodelista, ReadWrite, Business Insider & IGN.
Talking about the partnership,Times Local Partners business head Puneet Singhvi said “We are very excited about bringing Ad Age to India. Ad Age has achieved an iconic status amongst the media and marketing community globally and we look forward creating a strong platform for the fraternity through Ad Age India. We are confident that Ad Age India will soon become a marketing communication brand to trust and the one that the industry follows. We also plan to roll out the regional versions of the highly revered Ad Age Lists soon. ”
“India has emerged as one of the world’ fastest-growing ad markets with a vibrant and innovative community of advertising, media, and marketing leaders,” said Allison Arden, Vice President and Publisher of Ad Age. “Ad Age is thrilled to join with Times Internet in bringing our distinctive global news, intelligence, and insight to Indian readers.”
TLP will be putting together a strong editorial and insights team to publish local industry news, trends & analysis alongside the global coverage of strategic topics for marketers and media. TLP will also leverage the media reach that the Times Group has across platforms to grow Ad Age India strongly.
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OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig resigns over ChatGPT ad plans
Zoe Hitzig says an ad-driven model could put user privacy and AI integrity at risk.
CALIFORNIA: OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig has resigned from the company, citing concerns about the introduction of advertising in ChatGPT. Hitzig, who spent two years working on AI development and governance, announced her departure in a guest essay for The New York Times, just as the company began testing ads.
Hitzig’s main concern is not the presence of ads itself, but the long-term financial pressure they could create. While OpenAI maintains that ads will be clearly labelled and will not influence the AI’s responses, she argues that dependence on ad revenue can eventually change how a company operates.
She also expressed concern about the vast amount of sensitive data OpenAI holds, questioning whether the company can resist the tidal forces that push businesses to monetise private information.
“I resigned from OpenAI on Monday. The same day, they started testing ads in ChatGPT. OpenAI has the most detailed record of private human thought ever assembled. Can we trust them to resist the tidal forces pushing them to abuse it?” she wrote in a post on X.
Her warning points to a growing tension between business priorities and ethical responsibility, raising the question of whether a company can deliver objective AI responses while also keeping advertisers happy. It also underscores concerns around data privacy, as OpenAI handles vast amounts of personal information, creating risks that go beyond those faced by earlier tech platforms. At the same time, there are fears about future integrity, with financial pressures potentially pushing AI systems to favour engagement over accuracy or safety.
As ChatGPT moves from a purely subscription-based model toward a more commercial approach, the industry is watching closely. For Hitzig, the shift represents a fundamental change in OpenAI’s mission, raising concerns that the drive for profit could eventually compromise the integrity of the technology.
