Claude's New Ad Starts with House on Fire, Viewers Think They're Watching an AI Apocalypse Movie

According to Watchful AI Watch, Anthropic's new ad "Hope Lies in the Challenge" has sparked a major controversy.

The ad was intended to show that Anthropic is willing to confront AI risk, but it opened with burning houses, facial recognition, homeless individuals, and vast tombstones. The voiceover also asked, "Can AI be trusted?" and "Who will hit the brakes when it goes out of control?"

Many netizens believe that the entire ad looks more like an AI doomsday trailer. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he initially thought it was a parody account. Some even claimed that relatives called them specifically after watching the TV spot to ask, "Why is an AI company threatening us?"

The graveyard scene was the most controversial. As the scene appeared, the voiceover coincidentally asked who would be the one to "hit the brakes" on AI. Some felt that this was almost implying that AI could lead to mass casualties.

Anthropic originally wanted the public to voice their concerns about AI, which they would then address one by one. However, the image of being a "responsible AI company" did not stick, and instead, fear spread.