AI has become a part of many lives, just like social media platforms did a decade ago. There are new AI trends in different industries almost every week. Not just to be used as a “helper” or “study buddy,” companies like Coca-Cola and H&M are using them in campaigns. The former has already produced ads, and the latter is making “Digital Twins” for the models.
At the same time, some brands are making waves by taking an anti-AI stance instead. They are either refusing to use trendy tech in their shoots or directly marketing that their products have the “human touch.”
10 Brands Joining The anti-AI Movement:
1. Polaroid
Did you know a huge percentage of Gen Z love to dip their toes in retro things? Vinyls, typewriters, and, of course, vintage cameras are some of these. Polaroid launched these citywide Billboards following the popular Polaroid ChatGPT trend that had everyone promoting different celebrity ships or themselves hugging each other.
The tagline “The camera for an analog life’ hits right home.
(Of course, we can’t forget that Polaroid is directly related to this campaign as well. If people just continue to create pictures with prompted ‘AI GPTs,’ there will be less need for a tangible camera, and the sales of the cameras among Polaroids will decline.)
2. Aerie
With a commitment to body positivity, the intimate apparel brand Aerie has pledged never to use AI-generated imagery in its advertisements and only to use real humans and women. While posting the message on Instagram, they also shine a light on their “No photo retouching” rule that sends a body-positive message to all the customers out there.
The debates on AI increasing the doubts in the minds of women have only increased in the past two years, and companies against AI for advertising purposes help with authentic representation.
3. Dove
The first beauty brand to be vocal against AI, Dove is a beauty brand with decades of prestige. They released their #bebeautyreal campaign, which started last year, and in the video against impossible beauty standards that AI-created images showcase, the brand has gone ahead and made the claim to never use the same for advertisement purposes.
Alessandro Manfredi, former Chief Marketing Officer for Dove behind the Real Beauty Campaign, quotes:
“At Dove, we seek a future in which women get to decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new and emerging technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion real beauty.”
Though we have to point out Dove is against using AI for only human models, its parent company, Unilever, is very much transparent in utilizing the same tech for other means, including making “Digital Twins” of their products. Esi Eggleston Bracey, Unilever’s Chief Growth & Marketing Officer, comments on the decision:
“This isn’t just about pushing out more content – anyone can do that… Our product twins can be deployed everywhere and anywhere, accurately and consistently, so content is generated faster and on brand. We call it creativity at the speed of life.”
4. Heineken
Now, this is not a similar type of AI boycott, as Heineken has not made a statement of refusing to use AI, but rather just poked fun at an AI company. Still…
Part of the “Socials over Socials” campaign of the popular Dutch Beer company, Heineken, recently launched a billboard that mocked AI friendship tech. It was posted after the viral campaign of the company, friend.com, used over 1 million dollars to plaster the posters of their AI chatbot. Even though it’s not a direct hit, the company made it pretty obvious by using a similar bottle opener on the ad that’s pretty similar to Friend.com’s “pendant.”
5. Unsplash
Unsplash is a stock photo company where you can add and download pictures without worrying about any commercial license. The fact that they are keeping the platform accepting only human-created content is not only ideal for photographers but for users as well.
Why the latter? Because many people are not the biggest fans of AI-generated pictures. For example, the popular social media platform Pinterest had to add GenAI settings to fine-tune your profile to decrease AI images in the feed because of a major backlash by the community.
6. Cadbury (Five Star)
Mondelez-owned Indian chocolate brand took a dig at the AI-generated content that we see on our social media feeds nowadays. They launched a commercial and a campaign named “Make AI Mediocre Again” that showcases what may happen to us if AIs continue to produce the content.
7. Thinx
The women’s period underwear brand led an anti-AI campaign last year, where they asked artists to draw what AI thought when it was asked to create images of. Different stages of women with periods, PMS, and puberty. Different artists participated to create the short for the GetBodyWise campaign, and it definitely is one of a kind.
Crystal Zerrenner, the Chief Growth Officer of the company, quotes:
*AI is a sobering reflection of the cultural stigmas of periods that are still pervasive within our society… which is why we are launching Get BodyWise to help break the cycle of bias and normalize discourse on this topic.”
8. DC Comics
The comic giant DC Comics’s president and publisher, Jim Lee, has been vocal about not supporting AI in their comics, whether it be for artistic or storytelling mediums. This comes as a relief to many creatives out there. During the 2025 Comic Con New York, Lee said:
“DC Comics will not support AI-generated storytelling or artwork. Not now, not ever, as long as Anne DePies (General Manager) and I are in charge…. People have an instinctive reaction to what feels authentic. We recoil from what feels fake. That’s why human creativity matters. AI doesn’t dream. It doesn’t feel. It doesn’t make art. It aggregates it.”
9. Marvel
In the same Comic Con 2025 as DC Comics’ competitor, Marvel, also made a similar remark against AI for their creative output. When asked about the use of AI in the generation of their comics, the Editor-in-Chief of the comic giant, C.B. Cebulski, said:
“We never used it, we will not be using it, and we don’t condone it in the Marvel Comics division.”
He has also pointed out that the team activity scans the artwork for the comics for any generative AI work, and any artist who has been caught using it has been “severed from consideration.”
10. Procreate
Popular digital drawing app, Procreate, has officially declined any use of AI. Other manual creation apps, such as SketchPro, incorporate both traditional drawing tools and the use of generative AI. Procreate has become one of the companies against AI that won’t use it or use your data to train for it either.
To End
These popular brands have really started to capitalize on the skepticism, if not some people’s hatred, towards AI content, which, I have to say from experience, fills half of the comments on social media platforms.
While the wave of big brands taking part in anti-ai campaigns has just boomed, I have also seen small, local businesses adding the “Made by Human” stickers to their products, inspiring us. But of course, big companies tend to gain more traction. And while not all these brands against AI campaigns are offering an ultimate “no AI use ever,” it’s still a big gesture in a world that’s becoming more and more consumed by the tech each day.
Frequently Asked Questions on anti-AI campaigns
Q. In Which Areas Are Companies Boycotting AI?
Until now, the few brands that have come up refusing the tech are mainly in their advertorials. Most of the companies, even the ones included in this list, including Dove and Heineken, are using the tech for other purposes, such as logistics, supply chains, and analytics.
Q. What Are The Reasons for anti-AI Campaigns?
The main reason why companies are opposing AI is because of ethical issues of showcasing unreal possibilities, copyright infringement, as AI-generated work can be trained on others’ work, and the loss of jobs for humans.