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Prominent technology analyst Ben Thompson launched a scathing critique of Anthropic’s Super Bowl advertising campaign this week, characterizing the commercials as deceptive attacks on rival OpenAI. During a recent episode of Sharp Tech, Thompson argued that Anthropic’s marketing, which portrays competitors as cluttering AI responses with intrusive advertisements, relies on falsehoods to secure a moral high ground in the increasingly competitive artificial intelligence sector.
Key Points
- Allegations of Dishonesty: Ben Thompson called Anthropic’s ad campaign "despicable" for implying OpenAI currently inserts inline ads into user responses, a practice that does not exist.
- Altman’s Rebuttal: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded by accusing Anthropic of "double speak" and arguing that advertising models democratize access to AI, whereas high-cost subscriptions limit it to the wealthy.
- Strategy Credit: Thompson analyzed the move as a "strategy credit," suggesting Anthropic is claiming a moral stance against a business model (advertising) that it failed to build anyway.
- Talent War: The analysis suggests the true target audience for the ad is not consumers, but potential researchers and employees who are ideologically opposed to ad-supported business models.
Controversy Over "Deceptive" Marketing
The core of the controversy surrounds Anthropic’s Super Bowl spot, which dramatizes a user interacting with an AI named "Open Eyes"—a thinly veiled proxy for OpenAI. In the commercial, the AI interrupts a user's query with context-driven inline advertisements. Thompson argued that this depiction is fundamentally dishonest because OpenAI has not deployed such features, nor is that the current user experience.
Thompson compared the tactic to Apple’s privacy marketing, noting that while Apple attacks advertising, it does so largely because its business model is hardware-centric. However, he found Anthropic’s approach far more egregious.
"It's easy to make a viral ad when you're a liar. I thought this ad was despicable... they're out there lying. That's what this ad was. Lying about what OpenAI is doing is the core lie here."
The analyst suggested that Anthropic, having struggled to capture the mass consumer market that OpenAI dominates, is attempting to "launder" its reputation by framing itself as the ethical alternative. Thompson explicitly stated that the campaign lowered his opinion of the company, calling the move "immoral" for a firm that frames itself as safety-focused and ethical.
OpenAI’s Defense and the Economic Reality
Following the ad's release, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a detailed response on X (formerly Twitter). While Thompson criticized the length of the response, he agreed with its substance. Altman argued that Anthropic was using deceptive ads to critique "theoretical deceptive ads that aren't real."
Furthermore, the exchange highlighted a fundamental economic debate in the tech industry: monetization versus access. Altman’s defense pivoted to the idea that advertising models allow for universal access, whereas Anthropic’s reliance on paid tiers restricts powerful AI tools to those who can afford them.
"[Altman] makes the point which is Anthropic is for rich people. You have to pay a lot of money to use it. We're trying to serve the whole world, which is the most compelling argument for ads."
Strategic Implications: The War for Talent
Beyond consumer perception, the discussion highlighted a secondary, perhaps more critical objective for Anthropic: recruitment. Thompson posits that the campaign is designed to appeal to research scientists and engineers who view advertising as degrading to the technology.
By positioning themselves as the "anti-ad" company, Anthropic may be attempting to poach talent from OpenAI who are uncomfortable with the company's shift toward becoming a consumer product giant. This internal tension—between building pure research and managing a massive consumer base—remains OpenAI’s most significant operational challenge.
Looking ahead, the fallout from this campaign may unintentionally benefit third parties. As OpenAI and Anthropic trade blows over monetization ethics, tech giants like Google and Meta—who have arguably mastered the ad-supported model—continue to integrate AI into their existing, profitable ecosystems. If users recoil from the debate entirely, they may simply gravitate toward the platforms they already use.
