AI startup's dystopian ad urges people to stop hiring humans sparks controversy

It has been reported that an AI startup in San Francisco, the heart of Silicon Valley, has made a big splash by promoting the message 'Hire AI, not humans.'

'They hate people': Bleak tech billboards spark angst in San Francisco
https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/sf-artisan-billboards-stop-hiring-humans-19969672.php

AI company trolls San Francisco with billboards saying “stop hiring humans” - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/12/ai-company-trolls-san-francisco-with-billboards-saying-stop-hiring-humans/

The ad in question was posted on the streets by Artisan, an AI company that sells AI services with the backing of Y-Combinator.

Artisan, a startup founded in 2023, has two main products: 'Artisans' and 'Ava,' sales agent AIs that automatically send messages to potential users.

Artisan has several variations on their ads, such as this one that says, 'At Artisan, we don't complain about work-life balance.'

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

[image or embed]

— SpacePrez ( @spaceprez.bsky.social ) December 5, 2024 3:12

According to San Francisco news site SFGATE, Artisan has also placed ads around San Francisco with catchphrases such as 'Stop Hiring Humans,' 'Hire Artisans, Not Humans,' 'Artisans' Zoom Videos Are Never Off,' and 'The Era of the AI Employee Has Arrived.'

Reactions to these images have been largely negative, with one X (formerly Twitter) user describing them as a 'dystopian nightmare.'

This is the worst kind of dystopian nightmare ever to exist in our reality and it's quite shocking to see.

— Sami Sadek (@Skullgrin14022) October 30, 2024

Also, on the bulletin board social news site Reddit, there is a post that says, 'This is an AI billboard that gives the middle finger to the work of all artists, writers, and designers in the San Francisco area.'

'A billboard designed by a human telling us to stop hiring humans...' another Reddit user wrote.

When asked about the reaction to the billboard ads, Artisan CEO Jasper Carmichael Jack told SFGATE, 'Yes, the ads are somewhat dystopian, but so is AI. We want ads that are eye-catching, and boring messaging is not going to grab attention.'

According to CEO Carmichael Jack, the advertising campaign, which has been running for about a month, has dramatically increased Artisan's brand awareness and sales are also booming. Although he declined to disclose specific figures, CEO Carmichael Jack said, 'It had a huge impact,' expressing his satisfaction that the advertising, which deliberately did not appeal to emotions, had a sufficient effect.