‘Misogyny with a marketing budget’: UK AI firm accused of sexist advert

A British AI company that recently secured millions of pounds of investment has been accused of running a misogynistic and sexist advertising campaign.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received at least seven complaints about the campaign by Narwhal Labs, which includes an advert depicting a woman next to the strapline: “She outworks everyone. And she’ll never ask for a raise.”The ad continues: “Meet your new AI employee. Always on, never sick and no HR required.”Allow content provided by a third party?This article includes content hosted on linkedin.com. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'.The Guardian understands the complaints received by the ASA challenge whether the ads are misogynistic and are being assessed to determine whether there are grounds for further action, although a formal investigation has not been launched.The adverts for the Bristol-based company can be found online and had been placed on large banners above the bag drop at Bristol airport, but were taken down after concerns were raised.Another ad featuring the same woman states: “Working 9-5? She works 24/7. And she starts for free.”Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, a federation of trade unions that collectively represents most unionised workers in England and Wales, said: “This deeply sexist advert shows the disturbing vision of the future too many of the people leading tech seem to want to embrace – one where the workers who power the economy are sidelined, with a particular impact on women.“New technology will only deliver for the country if it’s adopted in a way that benefits workers, rather than prioritising the wealth of a few men at the top. We need more workers’ voices to drive the technology that’s used in their workplaces. And we need more women in tech so the sector can benefit everyone.“It’s time to build a pro-worker AI strategy that puts dignity and decency at the heart of technological change so nobody is left behind.”Rebecca Horne, the head of communications and campaigns at Pregnant Then Screwed, which campaigns to end discrimination in the workplace, said: “This advert is misogyny with a marketing budget, a textbook case of sexist labour stereotypes dressed up as ‘innovation’.“It pushes the toxic idea that the ideal worker is a woman who is endlessly available, compliant, unpaid and without needs. It exposes how deeply sexism is baked into our workplaces and now into our technology.“When you sell a ‘perfect worker’ as a woman who never rests or asks for more, you’re not selling progress, you’re selling the same old misogyny in a shiny new wrapper. It’s a reminder that our culture still expects women, especially mothers, to work harder for less and never complain.”Another of the ads in the campaign features a black man with a moustache and a tagline playing on the lyrics of a Lionel Richie song. It reads: “Hello, is it leads you’re looking for? He’ll find them, call them, and follow up. While you sleep.”Earlier this month, Narwhal Labs said it had received £20m in an investment funding round, which reportedly included backing from Jonathan Swann, a former director of the specialist insurance provider CFC Underwriting. Swann has been approached for comment.The company has developed a platform called DeepBlue OS, which uses agentic AI to handle inquiries, contacts, appointments and documents without human intervention. Agentic AI differs from generative AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, in that it acts without needing to be asked a question by a human.A statement from Narwhal Labs, which was founded in 2022 by Luke Sartain, said: “We understand the strength of feeling our campaign has generated … It was never our intention for the billboards to be perceived as misogynistic or racist, and we take that concern seriously.“Our billboards depict people from a wide range of demographics. Different genders, backgrounds, and identities … this was never about one group losing out to another. This is something far broader: humans versus machines. The impact will not be selective. It will not discriminate. And the debate it has sparked is exactly the one we need.“While governments hesitate, the technology is accelerating. When as much as 80% of white-collar work is at risk within the decade, silence is no longer a neutral position. The real question is not whether AI will replace jobs. It’s what we choose to do about it.”The company is calling for legislation to give consumers and employees the right to know when they are interacting with AI, not a person; a requirement for businesses deploying AI at scale to invest in reskilling and redeployment for affected workers; and rules on where AI can and cannot replace human roles, particularly in care, education and public safety.A spokesperson for Bristol airport said: “The third-party company that arranges advertising at the airport removed the advert after concerns were raised regarding the content.”