Everything Is AI Now… Apparently

By Amy Hague, Account Executive

“Look at our new AI solution – it’s going to change your life!”

It seems that everyday we see a company announce something along these lines. A new AI product/solution which promises to streamline our experiences. But are any of these announcements actually holding up against the claims? 

No industry is immune; from retail to finance, to the technology industry itself, companies are rushing to keep up in the ‘AI race’. And undoubtedly AI is making a real impact across our daily lives, whether that be automating routine tasks or fulfilling a more complex purpose. But that doesn’t mean that all AI is necessarily useful – or even AI in the first place. As audiences become more sceptical, marketing and PR teams are increasingly under pressure to communicate clearly and transparently about how AI is being used to protect trust and credibility.

What actually is AI – and what isn’t

The official definition of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ is: the application of computer systems able to perform tasks or produce output normally requiring human intelligence, especially by applying machine learning techniques to large collections of data. Seems simple enough to understand, yet so many organisations are still not grasping it (or hoping that others won’t notice).

In practice, AI is far less mysterious. It learns patterns from data and uses them to make predictions or decisions. It does not think or understand in any human sense. Many systems claiming to be AI are little more than automation or fixed rules. Even genuine models rely heavily on the quality of their data and can fail in unfamiliar situations. This gap between reality and rhetoric is where confusion begins.

It is equally important to be clear about what AI is not. It is not a sentient system with awareness or intent, nor is it capable of independent reasoning beyond the data it has been trained on. It does not possess common sense, judgement, or an inherent grasp of context. Labelling straightforward software or basic analytics as AI does not make it that, despite how impressive the terminology may sound.

AI washing – fake it ‘til you make it?

The phenomenon of AI washing is a deceptive marketing practice in which companies overstate or falsely claim that their products or services are powered by artificial intelligence. The primary purposes behind it range from trying to boost their own image, attracting more investors, or inflating company valuations.

AI washing rarely involves outright lies; it’s usually more subtle. Existing products are relabelled with an AI veneer, often without any real change in how they actually work. Straightforward automation or rule-based systems are presented as intelligent, while the details remain unclear. Terms such as “AI-powered” or “machine learning-driven” get thrown around, yet say very little about what is actually happening.

Often, technical complexity can act as a shield which then puts people off asking questions or probing any further. The result is a growing gap between what is promised and what is then delivered. Ambiguity is what organisations are trying to hide behind.

A high-profile example of AI washing was back in 2024, with Amazon’s AI-powered “Just Walk Out” technology that was installed at many of its physical grocery stores. The ‘AI technology’ was widely reported to in fact be dependent on around 1,000 workers in India to manually check almost three quarters of the transactions. Amazon was quick to claim that these reports were “erroneous” and that staff in India were just reviewing the system itself. The retailing giant argued that this was no different to any other AI system with human reviewers. Whether proven to be AI washing or not, this case brought more widespread attention to companies making over-inflated claims about their use of AI.

The risks of AI washing are not just reputational. In the UK, overstating or misrepresenting the use of AI can land businesses in hot water with existing regulations. For example, the Advertising Standards Authority requires marketing claims to be clear and not misleading, while the Competition and Markets Authority has warned businesses against exaggerating AI capabilities. Beyond the obvious financial penalties, there is the longer-term cost of lost trust. Once consumer confidence is damaged, it is far harder to recover from than any monetary fine.

Seeing through the hype

Avoiding AI washing often comes down to asking simple, direct questions to technical teams during the content development process. What does the system actually do in practice? What kind of data does it rely on, and what is it producing as an output? If AI is actually being used, clear answers should be easy to give. As a rule, vague phrases and overuse of buzzwords are often a sign that something is being dressed up. It can also help to ask whether the same outcome could be achieved with simpler tools. If the answer is yes, the “AI” label may be doing more work than the technology itself.

Don’t feel out of your depth when it comes to challenging this – it doesn’t necessarily require deep technical knowledge:

• Press for clarity and evidence
• Ask for examples of how the system performs in real situations
• Look for acknowledgement of limitations as well as strengths

Organisations that are using AI responsibly tend to be open about both. A confident claim should stand up to basic scrutiny. If it doesn’t, that in itself likely tells you everything you need to know.

AI isn’t magic. It’s a useful tool, often powerful, but evidently sometimes overplayed. Organisations need to understand that the confusion and mistrust created by AI washing is never worth it in the long run, despite how harmless it may seem. The goal is not to dismiss AI, but to see it for what it really is.

Remember – if it seems too good to be true, it’s always worth delving just that little bit deeper to gain the clarity needed.