Meta releases optimistic AI ad set to David Bowie song Five Years
The campaign shows how major AI players shape public expectations through pop culture, potentially influencing user trust and regulatory conversations as AI marketing grows more brazen.
At a glance
- Meta published a new AI-optimism ad on Instagram on July 23, 2026.
- The soundtrack is David Bowie’s song Five Years, including lyric snippets referenced in coverage.
- The clip highlights use cases for Meta’s controversial smart glasses, noted by Wired as part of the ad’s framing and privacy controversy.
- Francis Brennan, Meta spokesperson, cited Bowie’s meaning and a 1972 quote about optimism for the future in discussions around the ad.
The story
TechCrunch reports that Meta released a new AI optimism-themed ad on its official Instagram account on July 23, 2026. The video opens with a black-and-white shot of an eye and transitions to color as scenes of everyday life unfold—people reading panicked headlines, a couple dancing on a rooftop, teens swimming in a lake, a child in a field, and friends reuniting—while a voiceover frames AI as a force for broad human benefit. The company’s messaging accompanying the clip emphasizes optimism and the idea that the future is for everyone.
WIRED’s coverage adds that the clip uses David Bowie’s 1972 track Five Years as its soundtrack, including visuals of a toddler with a butterfly and other joyful moments set against the song’s ominous undertones. The piece notes that the lyrics snippet featured in the ad include lines such as ‘News had just come over / We had five years left to cry in’ and ‘Earth was really dying,’ which anchors the contrast between the cheerful imagery and the song’s apocalyptic context.
The WIRED article also discusses broader reactions to the ad, including commentary on the use of the song out of its original context and the implications of marketing AI with a dystopian-underpinning soundtrack. It quotes analysts and industry observers who frame song-choice in promotional materials as a provocative way to shape public sentiment about AI.” ,