AI advertisements are becoming increasingly peculiar, revealing truths about the technology that companies might not intend to highlight. A recent example comes from the Browser Company’s ad for its new AI browser, Dia, where CEO Josh Miller demonstrates its capabilities in an unconventional way.
In the ad, Miller attempts to use Dia to find holiday gifts for his sisters by asking the AI chatbot to email his wife, Valerie, on his behalf. The email, written by the AI, is polite but impersonal—more suited for a colleague than a spouse. This scenario, meant to showcase Dia’s AI features, instead illustrates how the technology can diminish genuine human connection, replacing personal interactions with cold, automated exchanges.
This pattern is not unique to Dia’s ad. Other companies have unintentionally revealed the dehumanizing aspects of AI through their marketing. For instance, Google faced backlash for an ad where a father and daughter used AI to write a fan letter instead of doing it themselves, and Apple raised eyebrows with an AI feature that could identify a dog’s breed but ignored the opportunity for human interaction with the dog’s owner.
Even more striking was an ad from the AI startup Friend, promoting an AI device as a substitute for human companionship—a stark depiction of technology filling the void of loneliness rather than encouraging real relationships.
While these ads may seem dystopian, they reflect how people are currently using AI. Common applications include generating art and serving as virtual companions, both of which are deeply tied to human creativity and connection. These uses can feel unsettling because they touch on activities central to human identity.
In contrast, many AI ads today lack meaningful messages altogether. Instead, they rely on vague, whimsical descriptions of AI’s capabilities without specifying practical uses. For example, AI billboards in San Francisco feature slogans like “AI that talks to cars and talks to wildlife” or “Intelligence so big, you’d swear it was from Texas,” offering little clarity about what the technology actually does.
The overall confusion in AI advertising reflects the uncertainty surrounding the technology’s role in our lives. While some companies hint at AI making tasks easier, the underlying fear of automation replacing jobs complicates the narrative. Promising a future where AI liberates people to focus on meaningful activities remains a challenge for marketers, as AI is not yet equipped to fully deliver on such ideals.
The current state of AI advertising, with its mix of vague promises and unsettling realities, highlights a broader question: what is AI ultimately for? Until companies can present a clear and uplifting vision, the “weirdness” of AI ads may continue to define the industry.
