The next AI ad may shape an answer before naming a brand, so disclosure must reveal when commercial influence began
Ask an assistant how to prepare for a rainy hike. It may discuss socks, layers, route length and drying gear before a boot brand appears. Every sentence can be useful and accurate, yet the route to that brand can still be commercially shaped.
An August 27, 2026 preprint proposes advertiser policies that influence the next token during generation. It is a simulated proof of concept, not evidence that assistants use this today.
A useful disclosure rule: say whether sponsorship affected only placement, candidate selection, or the answer’s sentence trajectory. The label should reveal how early the advertiser entered the answer.
1August 30, 2026 102 1
