Meta's AI Ad Uses David Bowie's 'Five Years' Song
· news
Meta’s New Feel-Good AI Ad Uses a Song About the World Ending
The latest addition to the roster of cringe-worthy tech ads is Meta’s Instagram campaign, set to David Bowie’s haunting “Five Years.” The song, written in 1972 about an impending apocalypse, seems like a peculiar choice for an ad assuring us that AI won’t make us less connected or leave us behind. This juxtaposition of optimism and the end of the world raises questions about Meta’s intentions.
According to Jeremy D. Larson, deputy director of Condé Nast sister publication Pitchfork, taking songs out of context for commercials is nothing new. However, using Bowie’s iconic song in this way feels especially egregious, as if Meta is attempting to whitewash its AI concerns by co-opting a message that has nothing to do with the company’s promises.
The irony here is that tech companies are trying to convince us they’re working towards a better future while simultaneously making grand promises about their products’ potential impact on society. This marketing ploy, disguised as social responsibility, is a hallmark of the industry. Google released an ad in 2024 featuring a father teaching his daughter how to draft a letter using Gemini, while FTX aired an infamous Super Bowl ad dismissing useful inventions throughout history before extolling the virtues of crypto and NFTs.
These ads are not just tone-deaf; they also reflect the tech industry’s inability to create products that genuinely convince people they’re making the world better. The disconnect between these lofty promises and the companies’ actual actions is jarring, creating a void between their messaging and reality that erodes trust in the industry.
The FTX debacle serves as a stark reminder that grandiose promises can be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Meanwhile, Google’s attempt to rebrand Gemini as a tool for the next generation of athletes raises questions about the company’s true intentions.
Ultimately, it’s not just about the tone or the use of Bowie’s song; it’s what these ads reveal about the tech industry’s inability to create products that genuinely benefit society. By focusing on short-term gains and empty promises, companies risk sacrificing long-term credibility in favor of a fleeting PR win. It’s time for tech companies to put their money where their mouth is – or at least create products that don’t feel like an exercise in brandwashing.
When we look back on this era of empty promises and half-hearted attempts at social responsibility, perhaps we’ll remember Meta’s “Five Years” ad as a cautionary tale – one that served as a stark reminder of the industry’s failure to deliver on its grand promises.
Reader Views
- RJReporter J. Avery · staff reporter
The Meta ad's use of David Bowie's "Five Years" is less about clever marketing and more about avoidance. By co-opting a song that explicitly warns of impending doom, Meta sidesteps addressing its own AI concerns. This tactic raises questions about the company's transparency: are they genuinely trying to reassure us or simply attempting to silence criticism with feel-good rhetoric? We need to be wary of these tactics, as they often mask a more insidious goal – downplaying accountability while peddling dubious tech promises.
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
It's time for tech companies to stop greenwashing their AI ambitions with saccharine ads that disregard the very real concerns about job displacement and surveillance. The irony of Meta using David Bowie's "Five Years" to tout its supposedly life-enhancing AI is lost on nobody, but what's more disturbing is how these advertisements create a false narrative about the industry's commitment to social responsibility. Until we see meaningful actions behind these feel-good campaigns, the disconnect between rhetoric and reality will only continue to erode trust in tech.
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
The Meta ad's misuse of David Bowie's apocalyptic anthem is just one symptom of a larger issue: tech companies' habit of peddling vague promises of utopian futures while their products perpetuate the status quo. What's striking is how these ads often rely on a form of paternalistic futurism, implying that humans are incapable of grasping the benefits of AI and must be coddled into adopting it. But what about the potential consequences of such technologies? By glossing over these complexities with feel-good messaging, tech companies risk exacerbating the very problems they claim to solve.