Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a concept confined to the labs of researchers and tech giants. It has evolved into an everyday tool, shaping industries, enhancing human capabilities, and redefining communication, commerce, and creativity. The release of ChatGPT in 2022 was a landmark event in this transition, catapulting AI from an experimental technology to a global phenomenon.
Yet, despite its widespread adoption, AI remains an abstract, often misunderstood concept for the general public. OpenAI’s decision to air its first-ever Super Bowl commercial in 2025—a move historically reserved for mass-market consumer brands—marks a shift in AI’s public positioning. This was not merely an advertisement; it was an announcement that AI is now an essential part of human progress.
This article takes an in-depth look at OpenAI’s strategic entry into Super Bowl advertising, its campaign The Intelligence Age, and the broader implications for AI’s integration into mainstream society.
The Transformation of AI: From Niche Technology to Ubiquity
Before analyzing OpenAI’s Super Bowl ad, it’s essential to understand the historical trajectory of AI’s development and how it reached the point where an AI company could justify a $7 million ad buy.
The Phases of AI Evolution
Phase | Time Period | Major Developments | Public Perception |
Early AI Research | 1950s-1970s | Turing Test, first neural networks, symbolic AI | Experimental, futuristic |
AI Winter | 1970s-1990s | Funding cuts, skepticism about AI’s viability | AI seen as a failure |
AI Renaissance | 2000s-2010s | Deep learning, big data, breakthroughs in NLP and image recognition | Renewed excitement, industry applications |
AI as a Utility | 2020s-Present | GPT models, AI copilots, multimodal AI, AI-powered search | Widespread adoption, ethical concerns |
The public’s understanding of AI has evolved from skepticism to cautious optimism. However, many still view AI as a tool for tech-savvy individuals rather than an integral part of their daily lives. OpenAI’s ad sought to challenge that perception.
Why the Super Bowl? Understanding OpenAI’s Bold Decision
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event in the United States, with a global audience of over 130 million viewers. The advertising slots are expensive, with a 30-second spot costing approximately $7 million in 2025. However, the cultural impact of a Super Bowl ad far outweighs its monetary cost—companies use this platform to define their brand narratives for years to come.
OpenAI’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kate Rouch, who previously orchestrated Coinbase’s viral QR code ad in the 2022 Super Bowl, was behind this strategic move. The goal was clear: to shift public perception of AI from a niche product to an essential companion in human progress.
“People are sitting around at Super Bowl parties, and they’re going to be like, ‘Whoa, hey, do you use ChatGPT? How do you use it?’ And they’ll pull out their phones.” – Kate Rouch
This moment wasn’t just about awareness—it was about fostering an emotional connection between AI and everyday users.
Comparing OpenAI’s Move to Other Historic Tech Ads
Year | Company | Ad Title | Investment | Cultural Impact |
1984 | Apple | 1984 | $900,000 | Introduced the personal computer revolution |
2010 | Parisian Love | $5 million | Humanized search technology | |
2022 | Coinbase | QR Code Ad | $14 million | Led to record-breaking app downloads |
2025 | OpenAI | The Intelligence Age | $7 million | Cemented AI as a mainstream necessity |
Apple’s 1984 ad challenged the status quo, portraying the Macintosh as a tool of liberation. Google’s Parisian Love used a series of search queries to tell a deeply human story. OpenAI followed in these footsteps, positioning AI as the natural progression of human intelligence.
The Intelligence Age: OpenAI’s Vision for AI’s Role in Society
The ad, titled The Intelligence Age, was designed to frame AI as the next great human advancement, akin to the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel. It used a pointillist animation style, where tiny dots formed key milestones in human progress:
Fire – The dawn of human innovation
The Wheel – Mobility and commerce
Agriculture – Civilization and society
Printing Press – The spread of knowledge
Electricity – The foundation of modern industry
Computing & AI – The next frontier
Rather than focusing on AI as a product, the ad depicted AI as a continuation of intelligence augmentation throughout history. It subtly reassured viewers that AI is not a disruption, but an enhancement of human potential.
Key Creative Choices
Minimalist Storytelling – The visual simplicity encouraged viewers to focus on the message rather than the medium.
Absence of Dystopian Themes – Unlike sci-fi portrayals of AI, this ad depicted AI as a natural evolution of human progress.
Emphasizing AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement – The ad subtly reassured viewers that AI is here to assist, not take over.
AI’s Role in the Creative Process
Interestingly, OpenAI’s own AI model, Sora, was used in the early stages of pre-visualization for the ad but was not involved in the final production.
“We used AI as a concepting tool, so nothing you see in the ad was created by Sora. But because we made this on a compressed timeline, it really helped the creatives experiment with camera angles and visuals.” – Kate Rouch
This reflects a growing trend where AI acts as a co-pilot in creativity, speeding up ideation without replacing human artistic direction.
The Future of AI in Mass Marketing and Consumer Adoption
OpenAI’s Super Bowl ad is a turning point for AI as a branded consumer product. As AI adoption accelerates, the branding of AI companies will become just as crucial as their technological capabilities.
Key Takeaways from OpenAI’s Move
AI is No Longer Just for Tech Enthusiasts
With 400 million users worldwide, AI is as ubiquitous as social media.
AI Branding Will Become More Competitive
Companies like DeepMind, Anthropic, and Meta are all vying for dominance. Branding will differentiate winners from the rest.
AI Must Be Framed as a Positive Force
The public remains wary of AI’s ethical implications. Companies that position AI as a tool for empowerment will win trust.
AI’s Coming of Age
The Intelligence Age is not just a campaign—it is a declaration of AI’s arrival as a mainstream force. Just as Apple’s 1984 ad set the tone for the PC era, OpenAI’s Super Bowl campaign marks the beginning of AI’s full-scale integration into daily life.
As AI continues to shape the world, expert insights from Dr. Shahid Masood and the expert team at 1950.ai provide a critical lens on the future of intelligence, technology, and society.
Yes, we need to educate common man, how to use AI? how to make it helpful in his relative work? Democratization of AI is not just about nations and organizations but also about adoption by every human just they adopted mobile phones. Ads are good initiative to attract people towards dry looking topic of AI.