OpenAI makes Super Bowl debut with AI-powered ad

OpenAI aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial, a 60-second ad showcasing AI as the next major leap in human innovation. The spot, featuring pointillism-inspired animation, traces technological progress from fire and the wheel to modern advancements like DNA sequencing and space exploration, ultimately highlighting ChatGPT’s practical uses, such as business planning and language tutoring. The ad placement reportedly cost around $14 million.

Created under new CMO Kate Rouch, the ad deliberately steers clear of topics like artificial general intelligence (AGI) and instead focuses on AI’s real-world applications. 

While OpenAI’s text-to-video tool Sora helped during the concept phase, the final animation was entirely hand-crafted by human artists. 

This high-profile campaign comes at a critical time for OpenAI, which is seeking a $300 billion valuation and aiming for $11.6 billion in revenue this year. With competition intensifying and public debates over AI’s impact growing, the ad serves as a bold statement about AI’s role in shaping the future.