https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/03/the-abject-weirdness-of-ai-ads/
"“I’m trying to find holiday gifts for my sisters. I open a bunch of tabs, I
want my wife’s advice.”
That’s Browser Company CEO, Josh Miller, in his company’s latest ad for its new
AI browser, Dia. Consulting your spouse to find gifts for your siblings is a
pure — and dare I say, sweet — thing to do with a browser. But the new product
he’s showcasing is replacing Arc, a beloved browser that put Miller’s company
on the map. Not everyone is happy about the Browser Company’s pivot from Arc to
AI browsing, and this latest commercial inadvertently explains why.
Instead of talking to his wife, Miller talks to his AI chatbot and asks the AI
to talk to his wife for him.
“Hi, Valerie, I hope you’re doing well,” said the AI chatbot, posing as Miller,
in an email to his wife. “I came across a few interesting products on Amazon …”
it continued. “Best, Josh.”
The email feels more like something you’d write to a distant work colleague,
rather than the way you’d speak with a loved one you see every day. While it’s
not an inappropriate message, it’s cold and could’ve been sent to anyone.
This example from the Browser Company was the latest AI ad that told a
different story about the technology than it intended — but perhaps a truer
one. It strikes the same sensitive nerve that so many other AI advertisements
have in the last year. In trying to promote AI, tech companies can’t help but
show how it removes us from the very activities that make us human."
Via Wayne Radinsky.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
