AI-powered advertising campaign sparks controversy
“This was our first attempt in this area, but it will definitely be our last for the foreseeable future,” said the head of communications at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
A recent advertising initiative launched by Helsinki Public Transport has sparked both intrigue and disapproval, primarily because it incorporated AI-generated animations.
In recent weeks, the campaign has featured prominently on buses, trams and screens on various social media platforms.
The ad features a lively, gray-bearded figure wearing a bright yellow jacket, his expression breaking into a cheerful smile.
The accompanying text, translated, reads: “No, baby boomers aren’t the only ones working for us.”
However, the characters’ personalities and smiles are completely fabricated, rendered by artificial intelligence.
Ulla Pauk, the company’s head of communications, said she received 20 to 30 direct messages about the ad, which generated a lot of buzz online.
“The main criticisms revolve around concerns that artificial intelligence could jeopardize employment opportunities,” she elaborated.
Further complaints surfaced regarding environmental responsibility and the apparent lack of representation of minorities in advertising.
According to a report from Svenska Yle highlighting this situation, the company adopted AI-generated content for recruitment marketing last year, with little backlash at the time.
This year, graphic designers aimed to push the envelope by experimenting with animated visuals, a decision supported by Paukku, who believed it was an opportunity to increase designers’ AI proficiency.
“Artificial intelligence is permeating our lives in many ways,” Pauk said, but he didn’t expect the criticism to come from his choice.
large number of applications
To date, the company has received more than 400 applications for 23 summer positions in the Capital Region.
While critics have suggested that the use of AI is a cost-cutting measure to avoid hiring traditional graphic designers, Pauk clarified that this is not the case.
“On the contrary, our intention was to enable external graphic designers to explore the capabilities of AI,” she said.
She was surprised by the sheer volume of complaints and found that public sentiment toward AI was primarily negative.
Conversations with graphic designers and their teams provided introspective insights.
“This was our first experience with such an approach, but in the long run it will definitely be our last,” Pauk concluded.
Raising additional issues
Other critics expressed environmental concerns, accusing the company of ignoring the negative impact of AI on climate change.
Artificial intelligence capabilities require large-scale computational processing and are primarily performed in large data centers that consume large amounts of energy.
However, Paukku disputed this view, arguing, “Given that this is our first foray into animation AI, it is hard to believe that this isolated effort has caused significant environmental damage. Many of us are already using AI in many ways.”
Pauk said so far there have been no complaints about the ad’s connotations against “baby boomers,” but some have interpreted it as discriminatory against older people.
Svenska Ale suggested the ad may suggest that older employees are not valued, but Pauk disputed this.
“That is not our stance. They are extremely valuable to us. The majority of our employees are in that age group and our organization cannot function without baby boomers,” she asserted.
According to her, the biggest goal of the recruitment campaign was to rejuvenate the company’s image, which otherwise could be perceived as monotonous and overly technical.
Source link: Yle.fi.
