AI's Personalization Push Escalates Walled Garden Wars, Endangering Open Ad Models

The integration of AI into popular apps represents a strategic inflection point, shifting the internet from user-led discovery to AI-driven personalization. This is not merely about better recommendations; it's a fundamental change in how users access information, creating more insular 'walled garden' experiences. This matters now as major platforms race to own the entire user journey, from query to answer, potentially locking out the open web and consolidating control over digital interaction.

This trend disproportionately benefits large platforms with massive datasets, putting immense pressure on smaller publishers and advertisers who rely on traditional web traffic and SEO. The second-order effect is a potential restructuring of the digital advertising economy, away from clicks and impressions and toward performance within closed ecosystems. It raises critical questions about data ownership and market access, signaling a future where platform dominance could become even more entrenched, choking off independent creators.