LG TVs' Integrated Ads Get More Personal With Tech That Analyzes Viewer Emotions (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0177048599
- News link: https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/25/04/16/2240228/lg-tvs-integrated-ads-get-more-personal-with-tech-that-analyzes-viewer-emotions
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/lg-tvs-integrated-ads-get-more-personal-with-tech-that-analyzes-viewer-emotions/
> The upcoming advertising approach comes via a multi-year licensing deal with Zenapse, a company [2]describing itself as a software-as-a-service marketing platform that can drive advertiser sales "with AI-powered emotional intelligence." LG will use Zenapse's technology to divide webOS users into hyper-specific market segments that are supposed to be more informative to advertisers. LG Ad Solutions, LG's advertising business, announced the partnership on Tuesday.
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> The technology will be used to inform ads shown on LG smart TVs' homescreens, free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels, and elsewhere throughout webOS, per [3]StreamTV Insider . LG will also use Zenapse's tech to "expand new software development and go-to-market products," it said. LG didn't specify the duration of its licensing deal with Zenapse. Zenapse's platform for connected TVs (CTVs), ZenVision, is supposed to be able to interpret the types of emotions shown in the content someone is watching on TV, partially by using publicly available information about the show's or movie's script and plot, StreamTV Insider reported. ZenVision also analyzes viewer behavior, grouping viewers based on their consumption patterns, the publication noted. Under the new partnership, ZenVision can use data that LG has gathered from the automatic content recognition software in LG TVs.
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> With all this information, ZenVision will group LG TV viewers into highly specified market segments, such as "goal-driven achievers," "social connectors," or "emotionally engaged planners," an LG spokesperson told StreamTV Insider. Zenapse's [4]website for ZenVision points to other potential market segments, including "digital adopters," "wellness seekers," "positive impact & environment," and "money matters." Companies paying to advertise on LG TVs can then target viewers based on the ZenVision-specified market segments and deliver an "emotionally intelligent ad," as Zenapse's website puts it.
[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/lg-tvs-integrated-ads-get-more-personal-with-tech-that-analyzes-viewer-emotions/
[2] https://www.zenapse.com/
[3] https://www.streamtvinsider.com/advertising/lg-brings-emotionally-aware-targeted-advertising-ctv-zenapse
[4] https://www.zenapse.com/platform/zenvision-for-ctv
Is it still my TV? (Score:2)
Why did I buy the damn thing if it will just show me what they want?
Begging for Apple to take their lunch (Score:2)
Pennies and steamrollers.
Why would ANYBODY buy a TV that serves adverts? (Score:1)
To save a few bucks? Except you won't: you'll be converted, and waste far far more buying what the adverts sell. Maybe it's time for an open source TV OS, one based on Android that can be added to a standard set of hardware? That might not be feasible, I'm no expert, but it's a lovely idea.
Re: Shrug.... There are solutions (Score:2)
Webos has gotten 98x worse from the C7 era to today. It was never worth using.
Re: Shrug.... There are solutions (Score:3)
This works for now. What do we do when makers put a SIM card in there? What if they don't tell us?
Sucks for them (Score:2)
I dont plug my awesome LG tvs into the internet because fuck that shit.
Re: (Score:1)
Yeah, same here.
It's not like I'm going to get adverts for bikes and boobs anyway!
Re: (Score:2)
Yep, I definitely won't be getting adverts for bikes.
TV's That Watch Us (Score:4, Insightful)
It should be very suspect that a company tells anyone that they watch you for your benefit.
--
If the computer-guided robots turn out to be our superiors in every respect, then will they not find that they can run the world better without the need of us at all? Humanity itself will then have become obsolete. - Roger Penrose
Re: (Score:2)
> It should be very suspect that a company tells anyone that they watch you for your benefit.
Someone should tell the CEO that. Right after setting up a 24/7 surveillance team outside the CEOs house.
You know, to help. Somehow.
Why do people tolerate this? (Score:2)
Why would anyone want a TV that spies on them and chokes up its functionality with adverts with no way to disable this behaviour?
I live in the EU and thankfully there is GDPR which puts a major dent in these scummy practices but even in the US presumably there should be a backlash against this BS? Do these companies truthfully describe the spyware in their systems? Do the major sellers (Best Buy / Walmart / Amazon etc) inform the user of it? Surely there is scope for a class action here?
High-demand market segment. (Score:3)
> ZenVision will group LG TV viewers into highly specified market segments, such as "goal-driven achievers," "social connectors," or "emotionally engaged planners,"
Hey LG. Feel free to put me in your “Fuck Commercials” market segment.
Better yet, just tag me as a non-LG customer. For life.
Oh I’m goal-driven alright. My new goal is to find a TV maker that knows the difference between a customer and a victim.
No problem. (Score:2)
I love my C8. But it's not connected to the network and I've turned off the smart functions. It's straight up dumb.
So long as I can do that on a new one, I'll still consider an LG when the day comes. But that C8 still works perfectly and looks amazing... I'm guessing it's got a few years of life.yet.
But... I'll be checking the manual of a new TV to make sure it can be lobotomized before I buy it.
Analyze this (Score:2)
Hey LG, what emotional state am I in now (holds up middle finger)?
Re: (Score:2)
> Hey LG, what emotional state am I in now (holds up middle finger)?
(Vegas Brothel Ad) “Come on down and ride the pink pony! We got BOGO Hump Day and all midgets are now 50% off!”
(Never underestimate how low marketing will go. They invented the concept.)
Here's the solution (Score:2)
Black electrician's tape.
Re: (Score:2)
> Black electrician's tape.
Wish it were that easy with cameras and microphones these days.
That multi-array challenge upgraded itself from Did you cover it? to Did you even find them all? We need an iFixit teardown just to be halfway sure now.
Re: (Score:2)
Around the whole TV?
Thanks for the warning (Score:4, Insightful)
When we need a new TV, we know not to buy LG.
Re: Thanks for the warning (Score:2)
The OLEDs are the best tvs, hands down. Just don't hook them up to the internet. No connection, no hassle.
Re: Thanks for the warning (Score:2)
I just want to be able to make out what's happening in the show. Pretty sure I can do that with most screens.