AI Companies Pour Record Spending Into Super Bowl Advertising Push

New York: Artificial intelligence companies are making an unprecedented push into Super Bowl advertising this year, pouring millions of dollars into commercials aimed at positioning their tools in front of one of the largest television audiences in the world.

With Super Bowl advertising prices averaging about $8 million for a 30-second spot, and some climbing as high as $10 million, AI firms ranging from established technology giants to emerging startups are using the event to compete for visibility as the sector enters a more competitive phase.

Industry executives estimate the broadcast could reach as many as 130 million viewers, making it a rare opportunity to frame AI products as mainstream tools for both consumers and businesses.

AI Replaces Traditional Big Advertisers

The surge in AI advertising comes as some long-standing Super Bowl advertisers, including automakers, scale back spending amid cost pressures and shifting marketing priorities. Their absence has created space for AI companies to step into one of the most expensive and influential advertising arenas.

Among the most visible campaigns is a high-profile exchange between Anthropic and OpenAI. Anthropic aired an ad promoting its Claude chatbot that implicitly criticised OpenAI’s decision to introduce advertising within ChatGPT, prompting a public response from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. OpenAI is returning to the Super Bowl this year after debuting with a 60-second spot in the previous game.

Tech Giants and Startups Compete for Attention

Major technology companies are also investing heavily. Google is advertising its Gemini AI platform for the second consecutive year, following earlier Super Bowl campaigns highlighting AI-powered features in its Pixel smartphones.

Amazon is promoting its upgraded Alexa+ assistant in a commercial that addresses concerns about AI in the home, featuring actor Chris Hemsworth. Meta is returning with ads for its Oakley Meta AI glasses, positioning the hardware as a gateway to its artificial intelligence tools rather than focusing on a standalone chatbot.

Smaller AI companies are also using the Super Bowl to introduce their products to a mass audience. Productivity platform Genspark, app-development startup Base44, and website-building company Wix are all running commercials highlighting AI-driven services aimed at lowering technical barriers for users.

AI Used to Make the Ads Themselves

Beyond advertising AI products, many companies are also using artificial intelligence to produce the commercials themselves, potentially reshaping how Super Bowl ads are made.

Artlist.io, an AI-driven creative platform, is airing a fully AI-generated commercial that it says was produced in five days for only a few thousand dollars. The approach contrasts sharply with traditional Super Bowl production budgets, which often exceed $1 million before celebrity fees are added.

Several non-technology brands are also experimenting with AI-assisted production. Vodka brand Svedka is reviving a long-dormant advertising presence with a commercial featuring its early-2000s “Fembot” character, updated using AI trained on social media dance trends. Meanwhile, Xfinity has used AI to digitally de-age actors from the 1993 film Jurassic Park for a new campaign.

Shifting Economics of Super Bowl Advertising

With production costs rising and advertising slots becoming increasingly expensive, this year’s Super Bowl could mark a turning point in how high-profile commercials are created. If AI-generated or AI-assisted ads resonate with viewers, industry executives say it could accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence across advertising, entertainment, and media production.