Artificial intelligence continues to make its presence known in all sorts of ways. The FCC steps in to ban AI-boosted voices in robocalls, Paul McCartney uses AI to create the Beatles’ last song, and the list of products you can use from ChatGPT grows. From Google’s Gemini to his GPT for special purposes. AI also made an appearance at Sunday’s Super Bowl, appearing as part of a much-anticipated commercial that aired during the championship game, which the Kansas City Chiefs won 25-22 in overtime over the San Francisco 49ers.
Some ads emphasized how AI could benefit their products, others actually used AI to create the ad, and at least one made fun of AI. Here we introduce AI-related advertisements. Also, be sure to check out our roundup of all Super Bowl ads.
Microsoft First Officer: “Please keep an eye on me.”
Microsoft’s “Watch Me” commercial promotes Microsoft Copilot, the company’s AI assistant in Windows 11, and touts the idea that AI will replace artists and creatives. In this ad, people are looking for an AI to help them complete studying for a movie, video game, or chemistry test.
Google’s Pixel 8: “Javier in Frame”
We live in an age centered on selfies and camera phones, but you may have never thought about how visually impaired people can take photos. Google has an accessibility feature called Guided Frame on its Pixel 8 smartphones that uses Google AI to alert you when and how many faces are in the frame. Blind director Adam Morse explains the feature in a Super Bowl ad, with an ending narration by blind singer-songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder.
Crowdstrike: “The Future”
Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike is taking a trip back to the Old West with an ad showcasing how it uses AI for security. When creepy Star Wars-esque robots try to attack the city, CrowdStrike’s one-woman, armed with her AI-powered cybersecurity, quickly thwarts them.
Etsy: “Gift Mode”
Oh, and it’s always a good time to (gently) poke fun at the French. In Etsy’s Super Bowl ad, an American receiving a Statue of Liberty uses Etsy’s AI-powered Gift Her mode to decide what to give in return to a French friend. Masu. Spoiler: It’s cheese.
Mexican avocado: “Guac-AI-Mole” site
Mexican avocados have produced some of the funniest Super Bowl ads in recent years. (In 2015, a college football draft parody showed Australia going after kangaroos, America going after wheat, and, of course, avocados.) The company didn’t run any Super Bowl ads this year, but its website says Guac was being hyped. “-AI-mole” uses AI to generate guacamole recipes based on information posted by users.
Body Armor: “Field of Fake”
There’s at least one ad that uses entirely AI to tease the concept. If you’ve watched enough AI-assisted videos, you know that some of them can be disturbingly bad, with creepy voiceovers and clearly fake creatures and humans. BodyArmor, a sports drink owned by Coca-Cola, is working on that aspect of AI, with his AI-ish lines randomly spewing out like “Teammate Trust His Tackle Ball” and soccer players hitting the ball with a basketball. I also show them dunking. The commercial then scoffs, “Artificial? No!” “Nothing should be artificial in sports,” he declares, before adding “real sweeteners, real flavors” to drinks.
Editor’s note: CNET uses an AI engine to create some stories. See this post for more information.
