From Svedka to Anthropic, brands make bold plays with AI in Super Bowl ads

The 2026 Super Bowl ads marked a significant shift by prominently incorporating AI both in their creation and promotion, making the technology a central theme alongside traditional entertainment and consumer products. Svedka Vodka debuted what it called the first “primarily” AI-generated national Super Bowl commercial, featuring AI-driven robot characters dancing at a party. While AI handled much of the animation and facial expression work, humans still crafted the storyline. This bold use of AI sparked debate about the future of creative jobs. Similarly, Anthropic’s ad took a more confrontational approach by mocking OpenAI’s plan to introduce ads into ChatGPT, leading to a public rebuttal from OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, highlighting competitive tensions in the AI space. Other tech giants also showcased AI innovations: Meta promoted its Oakley-branded AI glasses designed for extreme sports and hands-free social media sharing, featuring celebrities like IShowSpeed and Spike Lee. Amazon used humor and satire in a commercial starring Chris Hemsworth to introduce the