The AI Daily Brief: “Did the Super Bowl Make Americans Like AI Any More?”

Host: Nathaniel Whittemore (NLW)
Date: February 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the prominent role of AI advertising during the Super Bowl and investigates whether these high-profile ads shifted American public sentiment about artificial intelligence. NLW offers analysis both on the legacy of public skepticism and anxiety around AI, and on the effectiveness, humor, and tone of the major Super Bowl ads from leading tech companies and startups. The episode also touches briefly on current turbulence in the SaaS market, agentic AI strategies, and security concerns around AI skills libraries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “SaaS Apocalypse” and Evolving Business Models

[03:13 – 12:30]

• Market Downturn:
  $400B in software market cap lost; SaaS sector notably underperforming S&P 500.

  • IGV ETF: down 8.7% last week, 7.4% previous week.

• Investor Fears & CEO Optimism:

  • Box CEO Aaron Levie:
    “This is the most exciting moment we've ever had.” (05:05)
    • Argues companies will keep SaaS subscriptions, leveraging new agents to enhance them.
  • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff:
    • Highlights AgentForce as fastest-growing product as they pivot to AI-powered offerings.

• Changing Consumption Models:

  • Traditional “seat-based” SaaS pricing under threat as companies lay off employees and shift to agent-driven automation.
  • Eric Goldhar:
    “We used to buy software for humans to use. Now we buy agents to do the work.“ (11:16)

• Microsoft’s Response:

  • Faced dual challenges: SaaS erosion & cloud competition.
  • Emphasizing “agent security and compliance” as differentiator.
  • CEO Satya Nadella personally experimenting with new AI agent tools.

• Security Remains Front-of-Mind:

  • OpenClaw partners with VirusTotal to scan for malware in public ‘skills’ following major security audit.

2. Public Attitudes Towards AI: Pre-Super Bowl Pulse

[22:00 – 23:30]

• Context of Skepticism:

  • NYT: "Why do Americans hate AI?"
  • Edelman: Only 32% of Americans trust AI.
  • Pew:
    • 59% lack confidence companies will develop AI responsibly.
    • 52% more “concerned” than “excited” about AI (vs. only 10% more excited).
  • Gallup: 73% expect AI will cause net job losses.
  • Searchlight: 51% believe AI will replace (not supplement) human work.

• Framing the Challenge:
  NLW suggests that “antipathy” isn’t hard ideological opposition, rather, it’s uncertainty amplified by economic anxiety and polarizing discourse.

3. Super Bowl AI Ads: Analysis & Reception

[23:30 – 49:45]

a. Anthropic: Claude’s “No Ads in AI” Campaign

[24:15 – 27:10]

• Tongue-in-cheek ad where users are interrupted with sales pitches while seeking AI help (“Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude,” a jab at OpenAI’s ad plans).
• NLW critique:
  • “They were going to be incredibly confusing for the average person who had no idea it would be different if for the last three months people have been complaining about ads in ChatGPT… it felt to me like… reinforces the idea that AI is just the latest thing from tech billionaires to separate you from your money and time.” (25:20)
• Audience Response:
  • Ispot survey: bottom 3% in likability for past five years of Super Bowl ads.
  • 24% below purchase intent norms.
  • Common response: “WTF.”

b. OpenAI: “You Can Just Build Things” / Codex Branding

[28:00 – 31:35]

• Montage of people building, learning, creating – emphasizing agency and possibility.
• Kate Rauch (OpenAI CMO):
  “We’re living through a time when people can build things that were previously out of reach... Now AI is not only answering your questions, but is going to do things on your behalf.” (29:40)
• Reception:
  • Generally the best-reviewed of AI ads; made NYT’s #17 of 66 Super Bowl ads.
  • “Fairly positive, if benign... ultimately a positive vision of the future.”
• Fake Ad Hoax:
  Viral rumor of a scrapped OpenAI device teaser and a fabricated alternate ad spread on Reddit and X, debunked by OpenAI and media.

c. Microsoft & Meta: Copilot & Wearables, Sports-Centric Messaging

[33:15 – 35:30]

• Microsoft Copilot Ad:

  • Focused on NFL teams, analytics, decision-making.
  • “Fairly unremarkable, but at least on brand with the setting.”

• Meta (Oakley Smart Glasses):

  • Cameos from Marshawn Lynch, Spike Lee, iShowSpeed.
  • Kimberly Whitler (UVA Professor):
    “They're not just communicating to consumers, they're also communicating to investors…” (34:53)
  • NLW: Credits Meta for playing to their strengths by highlighting real-world AI use in wearables.

d. Google: Gemini Ad – Emotional Storytelling

[36:05 – 37:22]

• Features a mom and son envisioning their new home together, with Gemini helping.
• Praised widely for warmth and humanity.
  • Artificial Nightmares: “Clear, concise, human, and it instantly showed you the value of their product and why you need it.” (36:44)
  • Dan Shipper: Praised product explanation and relatability.

e. Amazon Alexa: Satirical “Killer AI” with Chris Hemsworth

[37:30 – 39:00]

• Hemsworth imagines all the ways Alexa could kill him; ad plays up common AI/robot fears.
  • Endured on Twitter: “Honestly, brilliant marketing. Everyone else is trying to sound safe and serious. Amazon just goes, we know what you're thinking.” (38:42)
• NLW predicts divisive reception but credits Amazon for embracing the cultural conversation head-on.

f. Genspark: AI-as-Assistant, Ferris Bueller Throwback

[39:20 – 41:15]

• Matthew Broderick office walk, AI does Excel, PowerPoint, workflow tasks.
• Mixed reviews; some see positivity, others anxious about job obsolescence.
• Genspark social: “AI doesn't replace us. It handles the grunt work so we can focus on the creative, strategic stuff…” (40:50)
• Critic’s reply: “This sounds like the AI response now.”

g. Vibe Coding (Wix): “App 2 You” – Empowering Creation

[41:45 – 42:35]

• Empowering: AI helps people make novel apps, doesn’t threaten core work.
• Direct, humorous, and “underrated” per NLW.
• “Unlike the Genspark ad, it's not showing AI doing people's core work. It's showing how they can have new capabilities that weren't possible before.”

h. Svetka: First Fully AI-Generated Super Bowl Ad

[42:38 – 43:20]

• “Horror movie robots chugging Svetka dancing at a rave… shake your bots off.”
• PJ Ace: “I would not be proud of this lol. In fairness we're talking about it but God it sucks.”

i. AI.com: The Peak of the AI Bubble

[43:22 – 46:05]

• Crypto.com founder spends $70M on the domain, $10M on Super Bowl ad, for a thin wrapper around new open-source tool.
• Massive website crash from ad traffic.
  • Michael Podlowski:
    “This looks like the absolute peak of the AI bubble.” (44:50)
  • Chris (AI.com founder):
    Claims hardened security, instant usability, leveraging viral OpenClaw framework.

4. Final Reflections: Did the Ads Move the Needle?

[46:10 – 49:45]

• NLW’s core question: Can splashy, clever, or emotional advertising move the “middle” (skeptical but persuadable) majority of Americans toward optimism or comfort with AI?
• “Honestly, I'm not really sure. There were highlights and lowlights, but I guess overall it could have been a lot worse. So maybe we'll call that a win for now.” (49:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Aaron Levie (Box CEO):
  “This is the most exciting moment we've ever had.” (05:05)
• Eric Goldhar:
  “We used to buy software for humans to use. Now we buy agents to do the work.” (11:16)
• OpenAI CMO Kate Rauch:
  “We’re living through a time when people can build things that were previously out of reach...” (29:40)
• Artificial Nightmares (re: Google ad):
  “Clear, concise, human, and it instantly showed you the value of their product.” (36:44)
• Endured (re: Amazon ad):
  “Honestly, brilliant marketing... Amazon just goes, we know what you're thinking.” (38:42)
• Genspark Social:
  “AI doesn't replace us. It handles the grunt work so we can focus on the creative, strategic stuff that actually matters.” (40:50)
• PJ Ace (re: Svedka ad):
  “I would not be proud of this, lol. In fairness we're talking about it but God it sucks.” (43:08)
• Michael Podlowski (re: AI.com):
  “This looks like the absolute peak of the AI bubble.” (44:50)
• Host NLW:
  “For the vast majority, this is not some hardened principled position. This is people rightly understanding that these tools are powerful, and indeed powerful enough that there could be negative implications that they're not sure about.” (23:10)
  ...
  “There were highlights and lowlights, but I guess overall it could have been a lot worse. So maybe we'll call that a win for now.” (49:15)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• SaaS Apocalypse & Market Fallout: 03:13 – 12:30
• AI Business Model Disruption & Security: 12:30 – 17:10
• Pre-Super Bowl Public Perception: 22:00 – 23:30
• AI Super Bowl Ad Reviews & Impact: 23:30 – 49:45
• Anthropic (Claude): 24:15 – 27:10
• OpenAI (Codex): 28:00 – 31:35
• Microsoft, Meta: 33:15 – 35:30
• Google (Gemini): 36:05 – 37:22
• Amazon (Alexa): 37:30 – 39:00
• Genspark: 39:20 – 41:15
• Vibe Coding (Wix): 41:45 – 42:35
• Svedka: 42:38 – 43:20
• AI.com: 43:22 – 46:05
• Final Thoughts: 46:10 – 49:45

Conclusion

This episode painted a nuanced picture: American skepticism toward AI is grounded more in anxiety and uncertainty than entrenched opposition. Super Bowl ad efforts from major tech and upstart companies ranged from the clever to the confusing, with only a few doing much to address real public worries—or inspire real confidence. The biggest win may have been simply avoiding a new PR debacle.