Recently, an artificial intelligence startup named Artisan launched a controversial advertising campaign in San Francisco with the slogan "Stop Hiring Humans," sparking widespread anger and protests.
Artisan focuses on automation technology, particularly an AI sales agent also named Artisan. Other slogans from this campaign include "Artisan won't complain about work-life balance" and "Artisan's Zoom camera will never malfunction," all implying that human workers are becoming obsolete.
These ads, especially the slogan "Stop Hiring Humans," quickly drew attention on billboards throughout San Francisco. The advertisements also featured a highly realistic AI human figure named "Ava." However, this cold mockery of human workers was not well-received by the public, leading to strong backlash. Some media and social media users described the campaign as a "dystopian nightmare," with some questioning on Twitter: "What are we doing as a species?"
In San Francisco, many homeless individuals are facing a housing crisis, making Artisan's ads even more jarring. Many felt angered by the ads, viewing them as disrespectful to the current social situation. Artisan's CEO, Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, expressed understanding, acknowledging that the ads were indeed somewhat dystopian, but he also stated, "The world of AI is truly changing."
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Carmichael-Jack emphasized that Artisan is actually "a friend to humanity." He said, "We love humans, and in fact, we are currently employing many people." Nevertheless, he admitted that the advertising campaign successfully raised brand awareness and sales. He stated, "We wanted ads that would grab attention, not boring promotions."
However, many are uneasy about Artisan's true intentions, believing that these ads reveal the tech industry's management's real thoughts on stripping away human jobs as much as possible. The strong reactions to Artisan's ads also demonstrate the public's heightened sensitivity to the topic of AI replacing human jobs.
Key Points:
🌟 Artisan's "Stop Hiring Humans" campaign has sparked widespread public outrage and discussion.
💼 The company's CEO acknowledged the ads have a dystopian tone but claimed Artisan is actually "a friend to humanity."
📈 The advertising campaign successfully increased brand awareness but also exposed the tech industry's potential attitudes toward human workers.
