The Rise of ‘AI Washing’: PR Firms Warn of a Growing Gap Between Hype and Reality
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The ‘Yoga-Level’ Stretch
Public relations executives are sounding the alarm over a growing trend of “AI washing,” where companies—often from low-tech sectors—are aggressively rebranding basic automation as artificial intelligence to capitalize on the current tech gold rush.
According to communications strategists in London and New York, businesses are increasingly forcing their PR teams to pitch them as AI innovators, even when the technology involved is rudimentary or non-existent. The pressure to appear “future-proof” has led to what one publicist describes as “yoga-level stretches” in how these companies describe their operational capabilities.
“You can almost hear the eyes roll when you mention the word AI to a reporter,” said a South London-based publicist who manages a portfolio of tech and design firms. “I’ve watched a steady stream of companies try to bolt the label AI on to whatever they do, no matter how tenuous the link.”
Automation in AI Clothing
The core of the issue lies in the blurring line between traditional software automation and actual generative AI. While the latter involves complex neural networks and the ability to create new content or patterns, many firms are simply using the term as a marketing shorthand for “better software.”
One account director at a central London firm cited a property company attempting to market a handheld scanner that generates building floor plans as an AI tool. While the device may use basic algorithmic speed-ups, the director argues it is fundamentally a scanning tool, not a cognitive AI system. “It’s not the kind of AI that many of us assume it to be,” he noted, adding that roughly 50% of the pitches he is forced to send out are stories he believes lack substantive merit.
This trend has permeated an array of unexpected products. Recent press releases have touted everything from “AI-powered” basketball hoops to specialized lasers designed for safety on underground platforms, often without providing a technical breakdown of how the AI actually functions within the hardware.
The PR Pushback
For media strategists, the surge in AI-centric pitches is creating a credibility crisis. As journalists become increasingly skeptical of the term, the “AI-driven” or “AI-powered” labels are starting to act as red flags rather than attractors.
Imran Ariff, a media strategist for London-based agency Fight or Flight, suggests that some brands have simply “drunk their own Kool-Aid,” becoming so enamored with their own internal processes that they lose sight of how those processes are perceived externally. This disconnect often leads to executives demanding to be positioned as thought leaders on sovereign AI funds or global tech policy, despite their only contribution being the deployment of a basic customer-service chatbot.
Corporate Optics and the Human Cost
While the marketing side of AI is focused on growth and innovation, the corporate reality is often more stark. Many of the same companies aggressively rebranding as AI-first are simultaneously overseeing significant workforce reductions. The tension between the “innovative” public image and the operational reality of job cuts has led to several high-profile gaffes.
Standard Chartered’s chief executive recently faced backlash after referring to employees whose roles were susceptible to AI displacement as “lower-value human capital,” highlighting a disconnect between the aspirational language of tech-driven growth and the human impact of automation.
Despite the skepticism from the press and PR professionals, the stock market remains largely unfazed. Investors continue to reward companies that signal an AI pivot, regardless of whether that pivot involves a fundamental shift in architecture or a simple change in vocabulary.
