AI-generated ads have made it to primetime

Prediction markets operator Kalshi recently aired a fully AI-generated ad during the NBA Finals, the culmination of a goal to create “the most unhinged…commercial possible," according to its prompter-in-chief, YouTuber and filmmaker PJ Ace.

The commercial spot—which features a shirtless older man draped in an American flag, a farmer floating in an inflatable pool filled with eggs, an alien chugging a pitcher of beer, and a lady in a sparkly pink tracksuit driving a Zamboni—marks yet another example of how AI could upend the advertising industry.

• The aired ad cost just $2,000, and only took two days to make.
• For comparison, the process of creating a similar commercial for Kalshi pre-AI could have boasted a seven-figure price tag and took months to complete.

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Last month’s release of Veo 3, Google's AI video generation tool responsible for all the cryptid and historical vlogs flooding your feed (as well as the Kalshi ad), promises brands the ability to generate realistic spots at a fraction of the cost of shooting a traditional TV commercial.

And more AI-powered creation options are in the works. Meta is reportedly developing AI tools to allow brands to create ads from scratch and target users on its social media platforms, while Amazon and Netflix also plan to provide similar tools to their advertisers.

Put it on your bingo card: High-dopamine Veo 3 videos will be the ad trend of 2025, according to Ace.

+Note: Kalshi is a sponsor of DONUT Press Media. Our newsroom is kept 100% separate from our advertising operations.