One Person Behind San Francisco Chatbot Billboard
Tucker Bryant, a former Google marketing manager, is behind "ChatTJB.org," a new chatbot billboard in San Francisco. The service routes all prompts directly to Bryant himself, challenging widespread AI advertising.
A chatbot billboard that recently appeared in downtown San Francisco, "ChatTJB.org," reveals itself to be the work of a single individual, Tucker Bryant. Bryant, formerly a marketing manager at Google, has created a service where every user prompt is directed to him for a personal response, acting as a counterpoint to the proliferation of AI advertising.
The project is part of a growing trend where independent artists and creators are critiquing the influx of AI startups and their marketing. Bryant's billboard, which cost $6,000 to rent for July, aims to encourage critical thought about AI's role in society. According to Bryant, San Francisco is saturated with AI advertisements, creating a cognitive dissonance between technological promises and anxieties about the future.
ChatTJB.org has been live since April. The interface is intentionally designed to resemble standard AI chatbots. Bryant stated that his initial intention was to comment on "cognitive surrender"—the tendency to overly rely on AI-generated answers without critical evaluation.
Bryant initially received around 1,000 prompts daily. Following the billboard and an Instagram post, the volume surged to approximately 5,000 prompts per hour. Due to this massive influx, Bryant has temporarily paused the service. He is currently seeking volunteers to assist with responses and developing safety features, including automated message filtering and crisis resources.
The crowdsourcing model for AI prompts echoes the service "Your AI slop bores me," which gained traction earlier this year. Other artists have also created tools like browser extensions and deliberately slowed-down chatbot versions to promote a more critical engagement with AI.