AI bubble bursting? A company making one of the most talked about products on the internet has come under fire from reviewers for over-selling and under-delivering. Though it is not a new story in terms of marketing, the Humane AI pin and the Rabbit R1 sought to use the buzz of AI to sell a new category of product: An AI assistant device. Immediately, many people thought, “is this even needed”? And, it is a good question. With the spread of AI tools and the use of voice assistants, it is only a matter of time before this is something that is in all of our phones and computers. But these AI dedicated devices tried to carve out a niche, and looked seemingly set to do so. Now, with troubles in production, delays, and poor reviews, people are turning on these companies as quickly as they gained interest in them. So what is really happening? Is there a market for these kinds of products? Is this all an elaborate scam? Find out more in the first link.

Secondly, we have a story about the latest marketing campaign for food products. The Got Milk? campaign of the 90’s was so famous that it became a part of the pop-culture of the time. Jokes were made on TV, puns featured in magazines, and merchandise began to spread. If you don’t know about this, here’s the summary: Got Milk? was a marketing campaign that encouraged people to consume more milk and dairy products in general. It wasn’t representing a single company, the dairy industry as a whole benefitted from this ad campaign. This is quite uncommon for advertising in the modern age. Though these ads may still appear in different forms of media from time to time, they remain a staple of 90’s US pop culture. Now, a modern version is starting, but is not so obvious to consumers. Online cooking personalities are the place for this latest campaign, and it makes us question how things are marketed to us, often without our knowledge.

Finally, there is a short news video from the UK on the public reaction to a recent announcement that National Service would be returning for young people in the UK. This news has caused very different reactions across the country, but perhaps most strongly from the group that it directly affects: 18 - 25 year olds. Though the pledge might have some good intentions, public opinion is not great and is hugely divided. Find out more in the third link.

Here are some interesting stories that I have found this week. With different topics, I am sure you will find something that is new and challenging for you. Why not use this as a chance to learn some new language?

Try to note some new language that you see or hear in the articles or video and bring it to the class.

1. https://www.inverse.com/tech/humane-selling-company-ai-gadgets-doomed

2. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/food-industry-influencers

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T0ZMiyVFXE&ab_channel=SkyNews

Have a great week.

See you in class!