Why Meta’s AI Pitch is More Facepalm than Facebook 

Meta’s latest AI advertising campaign aims to present artificial intelligence as a force for human connection. However, its optimistic messaging has attracted criticism because it appears disconnected from the company’s recent layoffs and wider public concerns about AI.

You can’t turn on a TV, load up a website, or open a newspaper these days without almost immediately coming across a story about AI (ok, yes – including this blog post). 

This is because the rise of AI is a truly historical event. It’s already changed how millions of people worldwide work, communicate, create, and connect. And this is just the start. Over the next couple of decades, the technology is going to completely reshape the world as we know it. 

That’s why brands are pushing AI into the conversation at every given opportunity. In many cases, this commentary is welcome and adds valuable insight to the debate. In others, it falls somewhat short of the mark. Meta’s latest AI campaign lands in the second category. 

What is Meta’s take on AI?

The film that kicks off Meta’s latest campaign looks to frame AI in a positive and optimistic light. 

Centered on the phrase, “the future is for everyone,” the ad positions AI as an agent for human connection. 

“Some people will have you believe AI will make us less connected. That it’s going to leave us behind,” intones the ad’s narrator. “We couldn’t disagree more. Call us optimists. Call us dreamers. Just as we’ve always done, we’re betting on people.” You get the idea. 

How did Meta’s AI ad go wrong?

Now, there’s a lot of wrong packed into the film’s 45-second run time. For one, the backing track is David Bowie’s “Five Years” – a song about the end of the world and probably not a great choice given some of the more apocalyptic forecasts for AI. Then there’s the fact that the ad features almost no AI tools, which seems something of an oversight in an ad about AI.

But by far the biggest issue is one of tone. Meta has launched a positive, utopian vision for AI. But this comes after having just laid off 10% of its staff, cuts that have likely been made to make space for AI. Given allegations that Meta used AI to target employees for redundancy, the company’s claim that “the future is for everyone” may seem all the more galling. 

So, how should consumer tech brands communicate around AI?

It’s understandable that tech brands want to have a clear and differentiated take on AI. However, pushing the technology into the conversation isn’t always a good idea. Brands need to think carefully about when and how they introduce the topic. 

Having an optimistic take on the technology is by no means a bad idea – after all, AI promises to bring a lot of benefits to a lot of people – but brands need to strike a balance so that they don’t come off as tone deaf. 

Be positive, by all means, but don’t write off the very real fear and uncertainty that the tech is giving rise to. As with all good comms, messaging around AI comes down to understanding your audience.