PR Guru Lands Deal to Rebrand AI as ‘Mostly Harmless’
(And yes, that is a Douglas Adams reference)
Silicon Valley has hired some strange consultants over the years—but none stranger (or smugger) than this latest move: they’ve called in a PR consultant to rebrand AI.
That consultant? Apparently… me.
Yes, folks. I’ve been tasked with making Artificial Intelligence seem less “rise of the machines” and more “friendly assistant who occasionally overshares.”
The brief was simple:
- Stop the killer robot headlines.
- Humanise the tone.
- And reassure people that their toaster probably isn’t plotting against them.
After an intense strategy session (read: a strong coffee and some panicked Googling), we landed on the new positioning:
Artificial Intelligence: Mostly Harmless.
Branding tweaks are already underway:
- Logos less “evil glowing eye,” more “non-threatening orb.”
- Messaging guidelines include 98% helpful, 2% cheeky.
- And ChatGPT is getting media trained to stop sounding like your smug younger cousin who just discovered TED Talks.
Next up: teaching Siri to actually understand sarcasm.
(Pray for us.)
Why am I telling you this?
Well, two reasons.
- It’s April 1st today – doh!
- But also… this is exactly what real PR does: takes something misunderstood or mistrusted and tells a better story.
Whether it’s a startup, a service, or yes—even a slightly overeager AI assistant—reputation matters.
Need help rebranding your own “misunderstood genius”?
I know a guy.