An advertisement for an artificial intelligence (AI) editing app that claimed it could “remove anything” has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK. The ad in question featured a woman using the app to remove a stranger of Asian ethnicity from a group photo, implying that undesirable people could be easily erased from pictures.
The ASA ruled that the ad perpetuated harmful racial stereotypes and could cause harm, particularly to individuals of Asian descent. The company behind the app argued that the ad was meant to be humorous and exaggerated to showcase the app’s capabilities, not to promote racism. However, the ASA deemed the ad irresponsible and offensive, breaching the advertising code regarding social responsibility and harm.
The AI editing app company has since apologized for any offense caused and has agreed to remove the ad from circulation. They stated that their intention was never to promote discriminatory behavior but to demonstrate the app’s advanced editing features. Despite this, the ASA upheld its decision to ban the ad, emphasizing the need for advertisers to consider the potential impact of their content on society.
The ban serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible advertising practices, especially in the digital age where ads can reach a wide audience quickly. As technology continues to advance, advertisers must be vigilant in ensuring that their messaging is ethical, inclusive, and does not perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
Sources Analysis:
ASA – The Advertising Standards Authority is a regulatory body in the UK that oversees advertising and ensures compliance with the advertising codes. It is not directly involved in the situation but aims to uphold ethical standards in advertising.
AI editing app company – The company behind the banned ad has an interest in protecting its reputation and ensuring the continued success of its app. They may have inadvertently overlooked the potential harm of their advertisement in their pursuit of showcasing the app’s capabilities.
Fact Check:
The ban of the AI editing app advertisement by the ASA – Verified facts, as it is a ruling by a regulatory authority in the UK.
The company’s claim that the ad was meant to be humorous – Unconfirmed claim, as it is a statement by the company that is subjective and open to interpretation.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Ad for AI editing app which said it could ‘remove anything’ banned”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.