AI search startup Perplexity is distancing itself from ads amid fears users won’t trust chatbots with an agenda to upsell. The move highlights an emerging crossroads for the AI industry as the sector’s biggest players hunt for stable sources of income to bankroll massive spending, with giants like OpenAI leaning into ads and others like Anthropic promising to keep them out.
Perplexity began phasing out ads late last year and isn’t exploring any new ad deals at the moment, executives said on Monday at a roundtable event, according to Business Insider and the Financial Times. It is a noteworthy U-turn for the US startup, which became one of …
President Biden's debate prep is focusing on ways he can "trigger" former President Trump during the first presidential debate, while the latter is leaning on his campaign experience.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-woman-hugging-a-man-at-a-quebec-hotel.jpg?id=61194297&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-unsafe-united-states-travel" target="_blank">Relations between the United States and Canada</a> are a little rocky at the moment, but one corner of Quebec is offering Americans something a lot softer: a hug.</p><p><strong></strong>A short tourism ad from Quebec's Eastern Townships is making waves online — and if the comments are any indication, it’s already melting hearts across the border.</p><p>The 30-second Tourism Eastern Townships spot, which debuted on May 28, 2025, features a nervous American traveller approaching a hotel reception desk in Quebec. "Sorry, I don't speak French. I'm just visiting," he says. Then, in a whisper: "I'm American." </p><p>Without hesitation, the receptionist hits a red button under the counter, opens a hidden gate, and walks over to give him a full-on hug.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKw1eXsCgGn/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=41f4c3e7-5c19-4d21-ac2a-db2efddaa10b" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKw1eXsCgGn/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=41f4c3e7-5c19-4d21-ac2a-db2efddaa10b" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p>The ad is part of a new campaign called "Come Hug It Out," launched by Tourism Eastern Townships to remind Americans they're welcome, even amidst <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/tariffs" target="_self">ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States</a>.</p><p>The video was posted just a few weeks after a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-unsafe-united-states-travel" target="_blank">Leger survey</a> found that 58% of Quebecers revealed they did not feel welcome in the United States.</p><p>"Americans are more than tourists, they're part of our story," said Isabelle Charlebois, the region's tourism director, in a <a href="https://www.easterntownships.org/press/press-releases/1528/the-eastern-townships-targets-american-travellers-with-a-heartfelt-invitation" target="_blank">press release</a>. "This is our way of saying we appreciate you and we can't wait to welcome you again."</p><p>The campaign, produced with Montreal-based agency La Bande, is airing in key U.S. markets like New York and New England on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and connected TV. It highlights more than just travel deals or scenery — it’s pitching a feeling.</p><p>With a strong U.S. dollar, beautiful landscapes, and an easy drive from states like Vermont and Massachusetts, the Eastern Townships have long been a go-to for American road-trippers looking for a peaceful but not-too-foreign getaway. However, tourism from the U.S. has slowed in recent months.</p><p>On social media, viewers didn't hold back. Some said they teared up, others shared memories of past trips, and many promised to visit soon.<br/><br/>"Kindness lives in Canada. I cannot stress how much I appreciate our neighbours to the North," wrote one Instagram user.</p><p>"This American in Texas would like a Canadian hug, please," another added.</p><p>Actress Sharon Stone chimed in too, leaving the <a href="https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2025/07/09/sharon-stone-commente-une-publicite-devenue-virale-de-tourisme-cantons-de-lest-offrant-du-reconfort-aux-americains-oui-nous-avons-besoin-dun-calin-ecrit-lactrice" target="_blank">following comment under the Instagram post</a>: "Thanks we need a hug."</p><p>While politics between the North American nations remain tense, Quebec's message to American travellers is simple: the door is still open.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
