Meta makes an unexpected mistake in its new AI advertisement

Meta, one of the world's tech giants, has unveiled a new commercial dedicated to the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While the campaign aims to dispel fears about AI and promise a bright future for humanity, the soundtrack used has sparked significant discussion on social media. The issue is that the optimistic visuals are accompanied by a song about the extinction of humanity. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports.

The commercial begins with black-and-white footage showing alarming headlines about AI taking over jobs and causing a global crisis. Then, the footage turns to color, showing happy people, young people relaxing in nature, and friends hugging. A voiceover states: “Call us optimists or dreamers, but we believe in people. The future is for everyone.”

Bowie's work and the misunderstanding

As noted by The Verge, Meta chose the legendary David Bowie's song “Five Years” as the soundtrack for this “bright future” ad. While the song might sound inspiring and energetic at first glance, its true meaning is completely contrary to the ad's concept. The lyrics tell the story of the end of life on Earth and the mass extinction of humanity in five years.

The part of the song where the word “people” is repeated frequently was selected for the ad. However, looking at the context of the lyrics, it describes a news anchor crying while reporting that the Earth is dying and people are in a panic. It seems the Meta marketing team was swayed by the song's general mood without paying close attention to its content.

This situation is being perceived as a unique irony in the tech world. At a time when Meta is investing hundreds of billions of dollars into AI development, the use of a song about the end of humanity has been assessed by many users as “dark humor.”

Such situations are not foreign to users in Uzbekistan either. Often, international brands focus only on visual appeal when advertising products, ignoring local culture or the deep meaning of the chosen music. In Meta's case, this error has caused laughter and criticism on a global scale.

So far, Meta representatives have not officially commented on this controversial music choice. Experts believe that when creating advertising campaigns on sensitive topics like AI, every detail, especially soundtracks, must be approached with extreme caution.