Meta has rolled out a new advertising campaign promoting an optimistic vision of artificial intelligence (AI), but the company’s choice of soundtrack has quickly become the talking point.
The campaign, released across Meta’s social platforms, argues that AI will strengthen human connections rather than weaken them.
However, it is set to David Bowie’s 1972 track Five Years, a song widely known for its lyrics about humanity facing extinction. The contrast has prompted discussion across the technology industry and social media about the campaign’s messaging.
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Meta Positions AI as a Tool for People, Not Fear
The advertisement opens with black-and-white scenes showing alarming headlines predicting AI will replace jobs, isolate people and create wider social problems. It then shifts into colourful footage of families, children, friends and communities interacting, alongside the message that AI should help people rather than divide them.
The narration concludes with the line: “Call us optimists. Call us dreamers. Call us whatever the hell you want. But we’re betting on people.”
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg echoed the campaign on social media, saying the company wants AI tools to help people reach their full potential and ensure the benefits of technology are shared more widely. The campaign marks the beginning of a broader effort by Meta to counter growing public concerns around AI.
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Song Choice Becomes the Centre of Attention
Despite the campaign’s positive tone, much of the reaction has centred on its soundtrack. Five Years tells the story of a world learning it has only five years left before Earth is destroyed.
Critics argue that using the song alongside an upbeat AI campaign creates a mixed message, even though only a short section of the track appears in the advert.
The campaign arrives as major technology companies compete to shape public opinion on AI. While firms including Meta and Anthropic are highlighting AI’s potential benefits, concerns over job losses, misinformation, privacy and the wider impact of the technology continue to dominate public debate. Industry observers say the differing campaigns reflect a growing effort by technology companies to influence how AI is viewed as investment and adoption accelerate worldwide.
Meta’s latest campaign underlines: the battle over AI is no longer limited to technology. It has become about public trust, perception & how companies communicate AI’s role in everyday life.
Samarjit Kaur is a journalist and communications professional covering technology & emerging digital trends. With a focus on clarity and context, she reports on developments shaping industries and governance. When not reporting, she chooses to plug-in and relax on her playlists and plan her next bucket-list trips!
