Chris Hemsworth Thinks AI Is Trying To Kill Him in Amazon’s Super Bowl Ad

Chris Hemsworth can think of many ways AI can go off the rails within his home.

In Amazon’s 60-second Super Bowl ad, “Alexaaaa+,” the actor hypothesizes all of the ways that AI—more specifically Amazon’s Alexa+ AI—is destined to destroy him. 

The spot, which will air during the third quarter of the game, opens with Hemsworth and his wife, actor Elsa Pataky, standing in their kitchen as Pataky waits for a car service. The first time we see Hemsworth, he’s carrying a snake from the backyard into the house (a real thing that Hemsworth once did). 

But it’s not the snake that scares Hemsworth—it’s the Alexa device sitting on the counter that’s talking back to him.

The AI, Hemsworth is convinced, is plotting to kill him.

Hemsworth starts rattling off scenarios where Alexa could axe him.

For example, Alexa could conveniently decapitate while he’s trying to fix a jammed garage door. And Alexa can close the cover on the outdoor pool when it senses rain, trapping Hemsworth under water. In Hemsworth’s imagination, he’s greeted at his front door by a giant bear after Alexa notifies him that a package has been delivered. The final assassination attempt comes from Alexa turning on the fireplace that explodes into a fireball. In the end though, Alexa offers to book Hemsworth a massage, showing it’s not malicious.

There’s also a little bit of cross-promotion with Amazon’s other Super Bowl ad—a spot for Ring that spotlights a feature called Search Party for Dogs. As Pataky’s car service pulls up to the house, a Ring logo flashes on the Alexa device.

A longer, 90-second version of the ad sees another situation play out where Hemsworth is yanked from his home while working out, hurled against a tree, and attacked by the snake.

The goal of the campaign is to introduce people to Alexa+, Amazon’s year-old generative AI voice assistant that is plugged into Alexa devices, Alexa.com, and the Alexa mobile app, Jo Shoesmith, Amazon’s vp and global chief creative officer of brand and fixed marketing, told ADWEEK. The home functions featured in the ad are new features in Alexa+. This week, Amazon rolled out Alexa+ to all consumers in the U.S. The service is free for Prime members and $19.99 a month for non-Prime members.

“The dance of this script is how do you entertain and educate in the same storytelling,” Shoesmith said.

The ad was created by Amazon’s in-house marketing team and directed by Wayne McClammy, from the production company hungryman. McClammy has worked on multiple Amazon ads.

This year’s Super Bowl ad continues the tech giant’s playbook of leaning heavily on celebrities and poking fun at its products, Shoesmith said. Over the past few months, Pete Davidson, Nikki Glaser, and Lil Wayne have also starred in campaigns involving Alexa+.

“With Super Bowl, we’ve historically really laughed at ourselves. There’s a lot of self-awareness in our humor,” Shoesmith said. “As we looked at the conversation that was going on in culture and all the questions around AI that were percolating, it led us to a really fun idea.”

Hemsworth is cast against type, where he usually plays fearless, cocksure heroes like Marvel’s Thor. Hemsworth is also the star of Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming film Crime 101, which debuts in theaters on Feb. 13.

It’s not uncommon for actors in Amazon content to show up in Amazon’s advertising. For example, Michael B. Jordan starred in the Amazon movie Without Remorse as well as its 2021 Super Bowl ad.

Pataky’s involvement was meant to emphasize Alexa’s role with families, Shoesmith said.

Despite all of this star involvement, Shoesmith said the key to a great Super Bowl ad is to keep the storyline simple and memorable.

“On the day of the game, you’re competing with noise and a lot going on. Having a really simple idea that’s very visually memorable that will break through a lot of that noise is a big tenet and criteria about the spots that bubble to the surface,” Shoesmith said.