'For this type of narrative and language to be used or storytelling and sentiment to be used by a commercial player is problematic on a number of different levels'
A company is facing criticism over a series of videos that were generated by artificial intelligence, with stakeholders claiming they are racist.
The videos feature a fictional job seeker named “Josh”, who complains about his inability to find work at Tim Hortons and Staples.
“Tim Hortons just asked if I speak Punjabi,” says the character in one of the videos, according to a CBC report. “I'm whiter than their Boston cream.”
The videos seem realistic, but a CBC investigation revealed that they were AI-generated, created by online hiring and recruiting firm Nexa, an AI company that develops software other companies can use to recruit new hires.
“I'll be honest, we do that for fun,” says Divy Nayyar, Nexa’s founder and CEO, according to the report. “You know, some of the videos went extremely viral.”
Nayyar described the videos as a "subconscious placement" of advertising, saying the company created the "Josh" persona as a way of connecting with young people just out of school who are looking for work.
Canadian employers appear to be showing increased interest in conducting job interviews using AI technology, according to a previous report.
‘AI racism’
However, Nexa’s campaign is highly problematic, according to experts.
"This type of content and highly polarising storytelling is something that we would expect from far-right groups," says York University marketing professor Markus Giesler, at the Schulich School of Business, in the CBC report.
"For a company to use this kind of campaign tonality in order to attract consumers to its services is highly, highly problematic and highly, highly unethical and unlike anything that I've ever seen."
Giesler adds: “For this type of narrative and language to be used, or storytelling and sentiment to be used by a commercial player, is problematic on a number of different levels.
"I would say it's an irresponsible utilisation of emotional branding tactics. We should not condone this."
One TikTok user commented on one of the videos: “AI racism is crazy.” To this, the Josh character replied: “I am not racist. Just shining comedy on the job market in Toronto.”
In a statement to CBC, Tim Hortons said the emergence of videos such as this have been extremely frustrating and concerning for the company, adding that it has had difficulty getting them taken down.
The videos were posted on TikTok. The social media platform has deleted the account, but Nayyar is appealing for the account to be reinstated, according to the CBC report.
With the growth of AI assistants, employers must focus on ethics, according to one expert.
