Huh, I’ve lived without ads of any kind other than what I see at the tramstop or going past stores that I never thought about AI ads being a thing. It’s not surprising at all, both their existence and people falling for it, but it’s just such a weird realisation.
The often used idea, in all kinds of media, of someone living in a weird dystopia and not really being aware of it but slowly getting hints and seeing stuff that makes them go “huh, this is some weird shit that’s apparently daily life for a lot of people” is something I feel more and more. And this isn’t some “I’m smarter than them/everyone else” thing, it’s just that my brain is wired in a way where I often get these moments of difference, and I know many people feel the same, especially here. Never used or had interest in AI for anything other than a few minutes of “let’s try this AI image generation thing to make weird shit”.