‘AI washing’: firms are scrambling to rebrand themselves as tech-focused | AI (artificial intelligence)

UK companies are increasingly stretching their definitions to label themselves as AI specialists in order to ride the AI technology trend.
Communications executives from various sectors are criticized for pressuring journalists to cover non-AI related businesses by associating them with artificial intelligence.
The term “AI washing” has emerged to describe this trend where companies rebrand traditional or automated processes as AI-driven.
Examples include shoe companies acquiring AI graphics processing units and genetics firms hyping AI-powered blood tests.
PR professionals express frustration due to the overwhelming volume of AI-related pitches, many of which misrepresent the companies’ actual AI capabilities.
Executives are being urged to appear knowledgeable about AI to maintain relevance, even when their businesses are not deeply integrated into AI applications.
The phenomenon reflects a broader trend where corporations, amid technological shifts and job cuts, are reassessing their alignment with AI.
Overall, there is growing skepticism about the authenticity of these AI claims, with many professionals and journalists viewing them with weariness and cynicism.