We talked to the comedians behind the viral fake AI ads on the subway

In a humorous twist on the rise of artificial intelligence advertisements, two New York comedians have taken to the subway to poke fun at the industry's hype. Dave Ross and Harris Alterman created a series of fake ads under the brand name 'Cutlery.ai,' featuring absurd phrases like "What if forks were spoons?" displayed on otherwise blank posters. The duo hung nine of these posters throughout Manhattan's subway system, each one designed to mimic the often nonsensical messaging of real tech startups. One particularly cheeky poster read, "1 + 1 = ____. Dennis can tell you." Their antics quickly gained traction online, with a video documenting the project amassing over 3 million views across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Alterman, who specializes in parody content, expressed that the overwhelming number of confusing AI advertisements he encounters on his daily subway rides inspired this comedic venture. He enlisted the help of Ross, a friend skilled in manifesting comedic ideas into tangible creations. Interestingly, they discovered that one of their fictional startups, 'Wireflow,' is actually the name of a real AI company, prompting chuckles from the pair. The total cost of their creative project was around $200, and the success of their ads has prompted them to consider capitalizing on their fame by selling T-shirts featuring the posters. After filming their viral video, they promptly removed the ads, anticipating that MTA officials would do so, but not before they were caught in the act by transit personnel. Both comedians come with backgrounds in tech; Alterman previously held a position as a social media director, while Ross has years of experience as a web developer. The response to their stunt has encouraged them to explore more comedic opportunities within the subway system. "This is a pretty deep well of comedy," Alterman remarked, hinting at the potential for future projects in the same vein.