Abstract

While artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely adopted and developed in various fields at an incredible speed, people are experiencing AI anxiety – the fear of disruptive changes that AI may bring in personal or social life. In response to this growing adoption, technology and social media companies have released their advertisements showcasing how their new AI applications can be incorporated into everyday life. However, many of these adverting efforts have faced backlash for being ‘tone-deaf’ to AI concerns and failing to understand how consumers wish to use AI in their life. Drawing on the theoretical framework of controversial advertising (Barnes & Dotson, 1990), we suggest advertising promoting AI may include two controversial components: (1) AI as a controversial product and (2) AI-associated norm violations in the ad execution. Using Apple’s recent and globally publicized “Crush!” ad controversy as a case study, this research conducted a content analysis of social media conversations surrounding the ad to examine the factors contributing to the controversy and identify contemporary consumers’ evaluative norms for advertising in the era of AI. The findings provide practical implications for how brands should or should not represent, promote, or employ AI in their advertising.

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