Jargon:AI washing
1 min read
Say this at the party
“AI washing is when a company claims its product uses AI, or much more AI than it really does, to look clever and sell more.”
In plain English
The name copies "greenwashing", where a company pretends to be more eco-friendly than it is.
Because "AI" sells, some firms slap the label on ordinary software, simple rules, or work actually done by people behind the scenes.
It can mislead customers and investors, and regulators have started to act on it.
Where it came from
The phrase grew with the AI boom, borrowing from "greenwashing". In March 2024 the US Securities and Exchange Commission charged two investment firms with making false claims about their use of AI, which brought the term into the news.
See it in action
A smart toothbrush advertises "AI-powered brushing". Look closer and it's a timer that buzzes every 30 seconds. That's AI washing.
What people get wrong
- Not every product with an "AI" sticker is lying. Lots genuinely use it. The test is whether the AI does something real and important.
- It isn't only small startups. Big, well-funded companies have faced accusations too, such as Builder.ai, which collapsed in 2025 after years of claims it leaned on human workers more than it said.
Go deeper
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