Founder stories from the world of Data and AI The Growth Playbook: Data & AI Ads, Ethics, and the Future of Revenue in GenAI Apps - ThinkData Podcast

Episode 4

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Published on:

2nd Feb 2026

S4 | E4 | Ads, Ethics, and the Future of Revenue in GenAI Apps with Mike Choi @ Koah Labs

AI apps are exploding, but monetisation remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

In this episode of the ThinkData Podcast, Mike Choi, Co-Founder of Koah Labs, shares how AI products can generate revenue without destroying user experience or trust.

We explore why classic ad models fail in chat-based interfaces, what it takes to convince AI builders and advertisers to adopt new monetisation approaches, and how advertising inside GenAI products will evolve over the next few years.

If you’re building, funding, or scaling an AI product, this episode is a must-listen.

🧠 Topics Covered

  1. Why most AI apps struggle to monetise sustainably
  2. The origin story behind Koah Labs
  3. Why traditional advertising breaks in chat-based products
  4. How to monetise AI without harming user experience
  5. Convincing AI founders and advertisers to embrace new models
  6. The future of advertising in GenAI over the next 2–3 years
  7. Ethics, privacy, and trust in AI-powered ad systems
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About the Podcast

ThinkData Podcast
The Growth Playbook: Data & AI
The Growth Playbook brings you inside the minds of the leaders shaping Data and AI. Each episode, we sit down with some of the most interesting voices in the industry, from startup founders to seasoned execs, to hear their stories, lessons learned, and the real strategies behind growing great businesses.

About your host

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Alex Hutchings

I’m the Co-Founder of the Dataworks Group, a specialist talent partner in the world of Data and Artificial Intelligence.

I’ve spent the last 15+ years working at the heart of this space, helping some of the most exciting companies on the planet build world-class Data and AI teams.

Through our roundtables, live events, and right here on the ThinkData Podcast, my goal is simple: to bring you real insights from the fastest-growing talent market in the world.

Whether you’re building, hiring, or just curious about what’s next, you’ll hear straight from the founders and senior leaders shaping the future of work.