Weekly Reflection #5

Over reading break, I went to visit a friend in New York who is completing her Master’s Degree at NYU! While walking around Manhattan’s West Village, I stumbled upon this billboard for ChatGPT. As soon as I saw it, I thought of this class.

The billboard has two parts: the top image of a beautiful stream and two people, and the bottom image with someone working on their laptop. The top image was the one that first caught my eye. The image connects beautiful nature to ChatGPT. In class, we discussed the environmental impact that AI has and in particular, its excessive water usage. It was interesting that the AI company wanted to be connected to both nature and water, two things that it is negatively impacting. My guess is that the goal of the advertisement is to create a positive subconscious association between ChatGPT and nature. The bottom image also sparked some further thought. When paired with the nature image, the photo of the laptop creates a juxtaposition. The ChatGPT logo that is seen in both billboards creates a connection between nature, innovation, and AI.

These ads made me realize how impactful strategic advertising is and how prevalent AI is in our world. It’s one thing to hear of someone you know using ChatGPT; it’s another to see a 20-foot-tall billboard right in your face.