Jargon-heavy AI ads blanket San Francisco, leaving non-techies scratching their heads

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte observes how artificial intelligence advertising has dramatically transformed the city’s visual landscape, with AI company ads now dominating public transportation and subway stations. The ubiquitous presence of these cryptic, tech-focused advertisements signals San Francisco’s latest reinvention as it emerges from recent challenges with a new identity centered around AI innovation.

What you should know: AI advertising has become inescapable across San Francisco’s public transportation system, featuring messages that would have been incomprehensible just a year ago.

• Muni buses display ads for AI code review tools like “Code Rabbit,” while entire subway stations are covered with campaigns for companies like Delve, which promises HIPAA compliance automation.
• Mission Street bus shelters feature ads with slogans like “Commute in, backlog out” alongside cable car imagery, targeting audiences fluent in AI and tech terminology.
• The advertising blitz represents a significant investment, with companies spending heavily to blanket high-visibility transit locations with their messages.

In plain English: These ads are written for tech workers who understand specialized computer programming and business compliance terms, leaving many longtime residents confused about what these companies actually do.

The big picture: San Francisco appears to be undergoing another major transformation, this time driven by the AI boom rather than previous tech waves.

• The city shows signs of renewed vitality with more people in streets, restaurants, and tourist attractions, suggesting recovery from recent challenges.
• Crime rates have decreased and the homeless crisis has improved, contradicting political rhetoric about the city being “very unsafe.”
• This reinvention follows San Francisco’s historical pattern of adapting to technological and cultural shifts while maintaining its distinctive character.

Why this matters: The AI advertising phenomenon reflects how quickly artificial intelligence has moved from niche technology to mainstream business focus, fundamentally altering the city’s economic and cultural identity.

• The ads target younger, tech-savvy demographics while leaving older residents puzzled by the specialized language and concepts.
• San Francisco’s embrace of AI represents its latest attempt to “mix this city with new San Francisco,” balancing innovation with preservation of its unique character.
• The transformation illustrates how rapidly emerging technologies can reshape urban landscapes and cultural narratives.

What observers are saying: The generational divide in understanding AI advertising highlights broader questions about technological accessibility and inclusion.

• As Nolte’s friend observed about his confusion with the ads: “I think you were born in the wrong century.”
• The author reflects on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s observation from “The Leopard”: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.”