The tech community on June 7, 2025, is actively discussing a provocative opinion from the CEO of research firm Rime Labs, who claims that we have already reached and are likely passing the "peak" of user experience quality in AI search and chatbots. In his view, the current era of relatively "clean," fast, and ad-free AI interfaces offered by many companies is a temporary anomaly that will soon end under the pressure of economic realities. The core thesis of this analysis is that economic necessity will inevitably force companies developing large language models and AI assistants to monetize their products more aggressively. This, the Rime Labs CEO predicts, will lead to a gradual degradation of the user experience, analogous to what happened with traditional web search over time. He foresees the imminent appearance of sponsored links, native advertising integrated into dialogues, and the promotion of partner products within AI responses, which could seriously compromise the objectivity, accuracy, and overall utility of AI assistants for the end-user. This opinion challenges the long-term sustainability of existing business models in the AI space and raises important questions about the future of monetization: will paid subscriptions become the only way to get a quality, unbiased user experience? This discussion is compelling the entire industry to consider how to balance economic benefits with maintaining user trust and value.
Rime Labs CEO: We Are Passing the "Peak" of AI User Experience Quality
