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Companies keep forcing AI features to do things that no one ever thought they needed, or indeed ever conceived of.
In this unfortunate category, Amazon’s new feature for generating mini-podcast segments that shill for products on its shopping platform really takes the cake.
The bizarre feature was spotlighted by Katie Notopoulos at Business Insider, who recorded the Amazon AI’s pathetic attempt of portraying an engaging discussion on just about the dumbest thing for anyone to talk about at length: adult diaper rash cream.
Imagine the most grating podcast advert in the world. Not the kind where a pre-made commercial plays, but when the hosts have been paid by a brand to talk about its product, leveraging their “authentic” personas to wax lyrical about an AI business platform or weird supplement. It’s kind of like that, but somehow vastly worse.
“Today our AI-generated shopping show is exploring the Welmedix Rapid Relief Diaper Rash Cream,” the AI host begins. “Emma, what makes this hospital-grade cream different from standard diaper rash products?”
“Well, it’s really interesting. This cream uses a dual-action approach” the co-host, “Emma,” replies, before droning on with barely repackaged marketing copy.
You can even call in with questions. When Notopoulos writes “help my butt hurts” in a chat window, the AI host responds, “Alright Katie, we’ve got you. You’re dealing with discomfort, and this cream is designed for exactly that kind of irritation. Emma, what can you tell them?”
It gets worse. Though the AI podcast feature doesn’t work on all products, someone else found that it was even willing to glaze a “fake dog poop” item.
“At four inches long, it’s sized perfectly for believability,” the chirpy AI enthuses. “The chunky texture and authentic brown coloring make it a real show-stopper.”
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