Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson (Preview) The End of the Ad-Supported Internet, Imagining What Comes Next, A Human-AI Agent PSA
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May 29, 2025 The podcast delves into the fading era of the ad-supported internet, examining its past significance and the challenges it faces today. With engaging parallels to sports, the discussion highlights how niche products thrive thanks to digital connectivity. It critiques the current advertising landscape, unpacking the decline in effectiveness and its effects on open web usability. The conversation wraps up with a thought-provoking look at evolving AI workflows and the human-AI interaction paradigm, signaling exciting changes ahead.
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Ad-Supported Web Enables Niche Markets
- The ad-supported internet enabled niche products and creators to find a market economically and thrive.
- This model democratized product discovery and distribution beyond traditional retail constraints.
TinyPilot KVM Switch Example
- Ben Thompson shared buying a third TinyPilot KVM switch, a super niche product useful for remote computer access.
- It exemplifies how the internet facilitates discovery and purchase of niche technological tools that were previously unavailable.
Advertising's Role and Native Payments
- The internet's original lack of native payments was a structural limitation, not a business model failure.
- Advertising's role provided vast free consumer surplus, enabling wide access and innovation.