Super Bowl Ads: AI Overload and Mixed Messages

The big game turned into a showcase for artificial intelligence, with many commercials either built around AI or claiming to use it.

• Vodka Brand – Computer‑generated imagery that felt more like a bad joke than a clever pitch.
• Music‑Library Company – New AI tools advertised as “made in five days for a few thousand dollars,” described as “perfectly anonymous” to viewers.

Because so many ads claimed AI involvement, some real products were misread as machine‑made. Fans on social media pointed out that a coffee shop ad and a cable company spot seemed suspiciously robotic, even though they were probably not.

Tech Giants Embrace AI

• Meta (Facebook’s parent) – Marketed its smart glasses with the phrase “Athletic Intelligence” in a celebrity‑filled ad.
• Amazon – Cast an actor as someone paranoid about AI, and its security‑doorbell subsidiary warned that the device could become part of a huge camera network.
• Salesforce – Highlighted its AI chatbot in a short clip with a popular YouTuber, which felt out of place for the business audience it was meant to reach.

Core AI Firms Struggle with Storytelling

• Google – Showed a family using AI‑generated images to calm a child about moving houses.
• Startup A – Airing a spot that seemed more like a critique of its competitor than an introduction to its own product.
• OpenAI – Focused on a programming tool in its ad; exciting for developers but confusing for casual users.

The Result

A cluttered field of AI claims emerged, with some messages clear and others muddled. Viewers left the game unsure whether they should embrace AI or be wary of its growing presence in everyday products.