Artisan CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack defended the campaign's message in an interview with SFGate. “They are somewhat dystopian, but so is AI,” he told the outlet in a text message. “The way the world works is changing.” In another post he wrote: “We wanted something that would grab attention – you don't draw eyes with boring posts.”
What does Artisan actually do? Its main product is an AI “sales agent” called Ava, which supposedly automates the work of finding and messaging potential customers. The company claims it works without human input and costs 96% less than hiring a human for the same role. Although, given the current state of AI technology, it is wise to be skeptical of these claims.
Artisan also has plans to expand its AI tools beyond sales into areas such as marketing, recruiting, finance and design. The sales agent seems to be the only existing product so far.
Meanwhile, the billboards remain visible across San Francisco, quietly stoking existential dread in a city that has already seen plenty of tension since the pandemic. Some billboards feature additional messages, such as “hire artisans, not people,” and a message that plays on fears of remote work: “Artisan's Zoom cameras will never 'not work' today.”
