OpenAI has made its much-anticipated Super Bowl debut with a 60-second advertisement that emphasizes the role of artificial intelligence in the evolution of human innovation. It costs approximately $14 million for its placement in the first half of the game and features a unique animation style inspired by pointillism.
It illustrates humanity’s technological journey, showcasing significant milestones such as the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, and advancements like DNA sequencing and space exploration. The commercial culminates in modern AI applications, highlighting how tools like ChatGPT can assist with everyday tasks.
Under the guidance of new Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch, the ad intentionally avoids discussing advanced concepts like artificial general intelligence (AGI) and superintelligence. Instead, it aims to resonate with a broad audience, many of whom may not be familiar with AI.
Rouch noted that the Super Bowl attracts around 130 million viewers, making it crucial for the message to feel relevant. Although OpenAI’s text-to-video AI, Sora, was utilized during the initial stages of the project for rapid prototyping, the final animation was created solely by humans.
Rouch emphasized that this decision celebrates human creativity and the collaboration between technology and artistic expression. This campaign marks a significant moment for OpenAI, which is striving for a $300 billion valuation and aims to achieve projected revenues of $11.6 billion this year.
The pressure is heightened by the competitive landscape, especially following Google’s recent advertising misstep during the Olympics. Rouch acknowledged the lessons learned from that incident, stressing the importance of authenticity in their messaging.
With other tech giants like Google and Meta also launching AI-related ads during the Super Bowl, OpenAI’s commercial arrives amid increasing public discussion about the societal implications of AI. Rouch firmly believes in the transformative potential of AI, stating that it is central to OpenAI’s mission.
