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J.A. Ackley
J.A. Ackley Senior Editor
1/10/24 10:24 a.m.
feature_image

Meet Ava Rose, Mahindra Racing’s newest ambassador. Rather than hire a woman to join them in the paddock, the Formula E team instead tabbed an AI bot.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Qaaaaa
Qaaaaa New Reader
1/10/24 10:38 a.m.

Interesting to hear the Mahindra will be racing in Roborace this season.

CrustyRedXpress
CrustyRedXpress Dork
1/10/24 11:03 a.m.

Yikes.

Msterbee
Msterbee Reader
1/10/24 11:05 a.m.

Translation: We needed some cheap buzzwords in our marketing materials but we don't actually care about being inclusive. Just give us your money. 

350z247
350z247 Reader
1/10/24 1:23 p.m.

So instead of hiring a real woman...they made one? Sounds like someone watched Weird Science, and thought they had a great idea.

cyow5
cyow5 Reader
1/10/24 1:33 p.m.

It wouldn't be the first time a social media entity intentionally posted something blatantly terrible in order to generate traffic. The algorithms reward traffic, and nothing generates more traffic than angry people. 

 

It's a bold strategy, Cotton...

j_tso
j_tso Dork
1/10/24 1:33 p.m.

They can make grid girls for all the guys complaining.

Tom1200
Tom1200 PowerDork
1/10/24 1:42 p.m.

Maybe the programmer was a woman.

I find this path rather lame and typical of our time.

nderwater
nderwater UltimaDork
1/10/24 1:43 p.m.

Virtual Idols date back to 90's Japan, but I've never actually understood the phonenomena.  I don't really understand modern influencer fandoms or simp culture either.  I guess if this stuff appeals to, you are the target demographic; if it doesn't appeal to you, just ignore it.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
1/10/24 1:54 p.m.

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors. They're also less expensive. It's actually causing problems for real-life social media personalities as brands like that. 

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2023/12/ai-created-virtual-influencers-are-stealing-business-from-humans/

Diversity has nothing to do with it, although it does allow the spokesbot to be ambiguous. There are real people who are like that as well.

 

Thomas
Thomas New Reader
1/10/24 2:13 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors.

I'm just waiting until the Microsoft Twitter bot is reincarnated.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 PowerDork
1/10/24 2:21 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors. They're also less expensive. It's actually causing problems for real-life social media personalities as brands like that. 

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2023/12/ai-created-virtual-influencers-are-stealing-business-from-humans/

Diversity has nothing to do with it, although it does allow the spokesbot to be ambiguous. There are real people who are like that as well.

 

Sterile and neutered, exactly the way SkyNet wants it to be.  

Racebrick
Racebrick HalfDork
1/10/24 2:51 p.m.

I didn't realize women were being excluded.

Driven5
Driven5 PowerDork
1/10/24 3:00 p.m.

Mahindra Racing said:

Having Ava, an influencer that is strongly associated with us and documents our journey, but with a broader appeal to help promote our core values as an organisation, is a project we’re hugely excited about.

Well, they're not wrong that Ava is now going to be 'strongly associated' with them and their 'core values as an organization'. 

BillKeksz
BillKeksz New Reader
1/10/24 3:27 p.m.

Well, they didn't say they were including humans...

DavyZ
DavyZ New Reader
1/10/24 4:26 p.m.

"Fueling Inclusion Through AI Innovation...Artificially"

 

They left that last word off.  

Msterbee
Msterbee Reader
1/10/24 4:42 p.m.
350z247 said:

So instead of hiring a real woman...they made one? Sounds like someone watched Weird Science, and thought they had a great idea.

Weird Science is much better than AI... 

Msterbee
Msterbee Reader
1/10/24 4:44 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors.

 

Keith, I know you're not that naive.  O.o

jabos7
jabos7 New Reader
1/10/24 4:46 p.m.

This ranks right up there with throttle-by-wire, brake-by-wire, etc, etc--just stop.

But, strangely, she looks like her voice would be from Siri....

Tom1200
Tom1200 PowerDork
1/10/24 5:48 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors. 

 

Till it glitches or a hacker turns her into Porn-bot 2000.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
1/10/24 7:00 p.m.

Maybe Mahindra could hire an AI marketing director capable of learning from the last time a company tried this:

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/apr/03/ai-virtual-models-fashion-brands

racerfink
racerfink UberDork
1/10/24 7:39 p.m.
Thomas said:
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors.

I'm just waiting until the Microsoft Twitter bot is reincarnated.

Well, they do have Cortana...

Turbo_Rev
Turbo_Rev Reader
1/11/24 11:58 a.m.

Tay AI is the LAW of all chatbots. 

 

I'd give it 3 weeks?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
1/11/24 12:02 p.m.
Tom1200 said:
Keith Tanner said:

The benefit to using a virtual "influencer" is that they won't do anything embarrassing or stupid that will reflect badly on their sponsors. 

 

Till it glitches or a hacker turns her into Porn-bot 2000.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
1/11/24 12:16 p.m.

Mahindra Racing has posted a "we screwed up, we're done with this" note. They're still claiming it was for diversity and inclusion, but it seems that people felt that maybe the best way to do that was to actually hire someone.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C189P-TujYL/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

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