Jacob Smith and Kennedy Owens
Opinions Editor and Staff Writer
From the big railroad boom in the 1800s to the advancement of AI in the 2020s, technology has been an integral part of our day-to-day lives for a long time. When you look at how far we’ve progressed in those 200 years, it’s like looking at two completely different worlds. But is that same level of progress still happening today?
AI is the current big tech trend and will only continue to grow bigger. It feels like every company now has incorporated some form of AI into their product. But not all of these advancements are as revolutionary as they might be marketed as.
AI washing is a new marketing practice where a company’s usage of AI may be exaggerated to seem more groundbreaking than it really is. According to an article from Pomerantz LLP, the oldest law firm dedicated to protecting investor rights, AI washing comes in many forms. A new AI system might be falsely suggested to perform better than existing, non-AI systems, the impact AI has had on a company’s success could be inflated or they could straight up lie about AI even being in their products.
McDonald’s and Coca Cola have been accused of taking part in AI washing. According to CTO Magazine, McDonald’s failed to improve drive thru efficiency with an AI powered ordering system and Coca Cola claimed to use AI to come up with a new drink flavor without explaining how it was actually used. In both cases, these companies attempted to hop on the AI bandwagon in order to seem more sophisticated and advanced.
But those brands’ main focus isn’t technology. What’s going on with the ones that do focus on it?
On Feb. 25, Samsung will be hosting their “Galaxy Unpacked” event, where it’s theorized that the next generation of Samsung Galaxy phones will be revealed. If the s26 model will be anything like its predecessors, then don’t get too excited.
Some of the elite and high end specifications for the current s25 model include the “Ultra Wide: 12 MP F2.2” camera lens and “Snapdragon Elite 8 for Galaxy (3 nm)” for performance. What does any of this mean?
When comparing it to the s24’s specifications, there are certain features that sound more impressive than the s25’s. The s24 comes equipped with a “6.2 in. Dynamic AMOLED 2X” display, while the s25 only has a “6.2 in.” display. If I was in the market for buying a phone, this information would only confuse me, not help.
When the first few models of the iPhone were coming out, there were significant additions each new release. The first iPhone established the smartphone as the next step in telecommunication technology, the 3G introduced the app store, the 3GS added video recording and voice control, the 4 gave the front facing camera, etc. There used to be noticeable differences that gave you a reason to upgrade your phone. Will we ever get more of this kind of progress?
And yet, in the midst of all of these advancements, consumers are reporting a higher level of failure in not only their phones, but other technological products. According to a 2021 Consumer Reports study, eight out of ten Americans said they needed to replace a smartphone, home appliance or vehicle in the past five years because of breakage. This is called planned obsolescence, a tactic companies use to inflate annual sales reports and create repeat customers.
Instead of focusing only on profitability, tech companies need to listen to what people want. What people want is not another AI assistant update, but the ability to safely use the internet without devices overheating or failing. Until then, consumer disappointment instead of technological innovation is what will continue to grow.
