How the Ai Pin’s marketing backfired—and what brands can learn

A tech company last week shipped what it calls the first wearable device “built to harness the full power of artificial intelligence,” and the world swiftly rejected it. Ai Pin, a personal computing product developed by Humane as an alternative to the smartphone, is now the latest cautionary tale for marketers activating AI technology. Not only is the backlash over the device’s failure to deliver on its promises a lesson in how not to promote a new product, but it underscores AI-specific considerations that companies need to make when catering to a skeptical public. These lessons are part of a larger reality check plaguing AI as enthusiasm from the ad industry gives way to skepticism and heightened attention to the technology’s shortcomings. More brands are announcing restrictions against AI in their creative processes, and tech giants like Google—which was recently burned by the faults of its own bot—are responding by placing tighter guardrails on AI-powered ad technology from the start. Ai Pin is being promoted as a modern-day Swiss army knife, capable of fielding and sending communications, searching the web and beaming a projection of generative text onto a user’s hand. The device, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, resembles an unassuming broach to be clipped to a shirt or lapel, although its price is steep: $699 with a monthly subscription of $24. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here But the problem with Humane’s “multi-modal” wearable is multifaceted. Reviewers panned its software and hardware for innumerable flaws, including lengthy delays that precede each of its actions, failures to complete basic calls and texts, and poor performance of its projector in the presence of light. Marques Brownlee, a tech reviewer and influencer with over 20 million subscribers across all channels, called the device “the worst product I’ve ever reviewed … for now.” Humane did not respond to a request for comment for this story. As early testers ignited the backlash, lay consumers eventually caught on. Posts on social media criticized the product for its failures, with some viewing it as a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with the AI craze. the whole AI pin thing is so good. tech bros get infinite money and spend years building a terrible product, declare it a human rights violation and assault on progress when people are like “hey I don’t actually want to pay $700 plus $24/month for your useless junk”— katie (@focusfronting) April 17, 2024 Consumers’ eagerness to pile on reflects a sentiment that all marketers deploying AI should beware: AI fatigue. The concept refers to how an inundation of news about AI over the past year has worn on many individuals, especially everyday people who have yet to see tangible evidence that AI is worth all of the hype. Consumer distrust towards AI is a serious obstacle, said Audrey Chee-Read, principal analyst at Forrester, and it’s only intensifying. In March, 26% of U.S. consumers said that they trust information provided by generative AI, compared to 31% as recorded late last year, per a survey conducted by Forrester. This skepticism paints a less-than-rosy picture of how mainstream audiences could receive AI technology. Just ask Lego, which came under fire from fans last month for using generative AI to create images of its IP, or Levi’s, whose decision to use AI to increase the diversity of its models infuriated consumers online. The clear takeaway is that everyday people have a narrow and fragmented understanding of AI, said Chee-Read. Meeting these attitudes with tact, instead of trying to change them through brute force, is key to avoiding backlash. Early signs of negative consumer reception began months ago, in response to Ai Pin’s early marketing materials. A launch video from November focused almost entirely on the “what” of the device, instead of the crucial “why” needed to convince users that it could replace their phones, according to a TikTok posted by marketing influencer Shwinnabego. @shwinnabego How not to launch a product. Marketing and positioning should not be an afterthought. This launch video was a flop #marketing #ai #advertising #tech #humane ♬ original sound - Ashwinn 💡 brand, biz, mkting Numerous users also expressed a lack of understanding in the comments section of an official Ai Pin ad posted to YouTube around the same time. When considered alongside its unproven value and polarizing foundation, the device’s high price point calls for an audience far more targeted than mainstream consumers, said Arun Kumar, former chief data and marketing technology officer at IPG. To allow Ai Pin to gain steam organically, he said, Humane could have positioned it for developers only, similar to Apple’s strategy for its $3,500 Vision Pro, or through an invite-only allowlist. The product’s name may also have contributed to its poor reception. Not only does the term “AI” engender confusion for many consumers, Kumar said, but it also implies a high level of intelligence that, if not backed up, may cause disappointment. Even though many people don’t trust AI, after a year of using platforms like ChatGPT, they’ve learned that the technology’s efficacy is directly linked to its reliability, Kumar said. This helps to explain why a model going rogue can be so detrimental to its reputation. “Any dumbness that the product shows is a sign of failure,” said Kumar. AI marketing blog How brands are using ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and other tools Read more here ‘Hop, don’t leap’ A natural consequence of distrusting AI is a resistance to embrace it. This makes all-encompassing devices like Ai Pin an even harder sell to many consumers. “There’s this feeling that AI is this life-changing technology, but consumers aren’t ready to change their life overnight,” said Chee-Read. An alternative for those marketing AI products is to take small steps in convincing people that the technology is beneficial—or, as Chee-Read says: “Hop, don’t leap.” One way for marketers to do this is by being selective about what they brand as “AI-powered,” said Chee-Read. As Kumar said, consumers invoke expectations—many negative—upon hearing the technology’s name, which means overusing it may cause more harm than good. Regulators have picked up on this issue. The term “AI washing” is now being used to describe false claims about the use of AI software, and is resulting in hefty fines. Even marketers unintentionally exaggerating the role of AI in their products or services are at risk of facing punishment. Read more about AI washing here In order to be selective and mitigate consumer confusion, “find a pain point, remove the pain point with AI, and then users will start to understand,” said Tim Rodgers, founder and chairman of digital agency Rehab. A core issue with Ai Pin, he said, is that it simply has too much going on, causing users to miss some of its strengths. For example, Rodgers thinks the device’s note-taking capabilities are compelling. But as reviewers attempted to navigate Ai Pin’s much grander propositions, including search engine and mobile phone, this small task was overshadowed. The device’s breadth is reminiscent of how big advertising companies are launching AI hubs, such as WPP and Publicis, said Rodgers. These platforms aim to be a one-stop shop for numerous creative and strategic needs, but their labyrinthine size and structure can also be a source of confusion for clients, many of whom have similar expectations and concerns about AI as consumers. “I wonder how useful these tools are,” Rodgers said. Marketers deploying AI activations and products can help themselves demonstrate specificity by leveraging thought leaders and influencers, who can explain functions clearly while reaching a wider audience. Perhaps more than a brand, these messengers grasp what is effective when communicating about technology and what is best left unsaid. Humane could have commissioned 100 influencers showcasing 100 different use cases for its Ai Pin, said Rodgers. But with all those functions and no direction, the content creators who did end up demoing the device produced the very reviews that fueled its backlash.

How the Ai Pin’s marketing backfired—and what brands can learn

Featured Stories