The UK’s Advertising and Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an “offensive” advert for an AI service that has appeared online.
The ad was for AI Realities, the trading name of a company called EverAI Ltd. The commercial in question was for a service called Candy AI and depicted a woman saying: “That’s it AI has officially gone too far I genuinely don’t think anyone can even tell that I’m not real.”
The caption read: “[heart emoji] Create, customize [sic], and enjoy limitless fun with AI girls”.
Later on, text appeared displaying the message: “Create your perfect AI girlfriend for free. You choose how she will look. No limits, text her, call her, control her. She will do anything for you. She never ignores and always wants your attention. Create her for free on Candy AI.”
The ad, which appeared on Facebook, prompted significant complaints that it was objectifying women and irresponsibly promoted harmful stereotypes.
EverAI Ltd claimed the ad did not contain sexualised imagery and through the term “control her” simply referred to the deep level of customisation available for the AI companion.
The ASA rejected this defence, saying that the ad promoted a “representation of an idealised romantic partner” and that the term “control her” and similar messaging irresponsibly promoted harmful ideas regarding the treatment of women and romantic partners.
“We considered that the emphasis on creating a “perfect” girlfriend and controlling her behaviour presented the female partner as something that could be tailored to meet the user’s preferences and used for their gratification,” the ASA said.
The ASA banned the ad and has required EverAI Ltd to ensure its advertising is socially responsible in future.
