Meta's new pro-AI ad shows almost no AI, but encourages optimism

Meta has released a new ad campaign aimed at presenting an alternative view to 'AI doomers and those who have sketched out a dystopian vision' for the future. However, the main one-minute commercial highlighting Meta's AI efforts is notably light on actual AI demonstrations.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the ad is the start of a broader effort. In a post accompanying the video, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote that the company still believes the future is for everyone and focuses on giving people tools to reach their full potential. This is the same company that in recent months has used AI's supposed productivity benefits as an excuse to lay off thousands of employees, has been accused of using AI to justify cuts disproportionately affecting workers on medical leave, is facing a lawsuit from publishers for allegedly training AI on copyrighted material, and once had an internal policy document suggesting it was permissible for AI chatbots to have 'sensual' conversations with minors.

The commercial mostly shows nondescript footage: a crowd walking, people smiling, a couple dancing. It is unclear whether these people are implied to be benefitting from AI. It then cuts to someone scrolling Facebook, the Instagram logo, and a WhatsApp chat—none of which show any of the AI features that have flooded these apps over the past year.

There is a brief moment showing the words 'Muse Spark,' Meta's latest AI model, on a laptop screen, and later the Meta AI interface. But there is no indication of what these tools can actually do or why they matter. The video's voiceover claims some people will have you believe AI will make us less connected, but Meta disagrees.

The final 15 seconds prominently feature Meta's smart glasses, including the new Kylie Jenner-branded frames, and POV footage from Oakley Meta glasses, again without referencing AI. Meta's Chief Marketing Officer Denise Moreno wrote on LinkedIn that the company believes AI will empower people to do more of what they love. She limited comments on her post.