Microsoft recently revealed that it created a minute-long ad for its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop using generative AI, but the twist is that no one seemed to notice the AI elements, even though the ad has been online for nearly three months.

Released on January 30th, the ad features a mix of real footage and AI-generated content, with some AI-generated visuals corrected and integrated with live shots.

The AI tools were first used to generate the script, storyboards, and pitch deck for the ad. From there, a combination of text prompts and sample images helped generate visuals, which were iterated on and refined with image and video generators like Hailuo and Kling.

Creative director Cisco McCarthy explained that it took thousands of prompts to achieve the desired results, although the process ultimately saved the team around 90% of the time and cost typically needed for such a production.

Despite the AI involvement, most viewers didn't notice the difference. The ad has received over 40,000 views on YouTube, but none of the top comments suggest AI was used. The quick-cut editing style helped mask the AI output's flaws, demonstrating how powerful generative AI has become in the right hands.

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