👓GenAI, Apple Vision Pro & Next Big Things
Tech-hype-cycles-r-us: Context Collapse #217
In this issue: Generative AI, Apple Vision Pro, the tech industry comms ecosystem tendency for next-big-thingism, newsletter housekeeping.
Hi. Welcome to Context Collapse, the world’s best comms newsletter. I’m Neal Ungerleider. I run Ungerleider Works and used to work as a reporter for Fast Company, write op-eds for the LA Times, and work as a senior copywriter for R/GA. This newsletter helps readers navigate the weird new world of media and gleefully ignores all the conventional wisdom about marketing, public relations, advertising, and marketing.
Technology media and technology corporate communications are weird. Compared to other industries (transportation, consumer packaged goods I AM STARING YOU BOTH DOWN), mass market technology discussion is disproportionately focused on the Next Big Thing.
Sometimes the Next Big Thing is genuinely world-changing (smartphones, generative AI). Other times the Next Big Thing is more niche and may be too early for the hype (Web3).
But once the ecosystem—which for our purposes includes tech publications, social media posters, and the large and mid-sized companies + PR firms who are able to intentionally steer discourse—are focused on the Next Big Thing, it’s harder to find space to cover topics which aren’t the Next Big Thing.
As I write this in June 2023, generative AI is the Next Big Thing. Part of this is the transformational power of tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E, part of it is the implications of how powerful generative AI tools will be in the future, part of it is the overeager companies using ChatGPT as a thinly-veiled excuse to lay off employees right now1. Part of it is the future of realistic hoaxes and rampant intellectual property theft anyhow, anytime, anywhere.
That’s why it’s so interesting to see the reaction to Apple Vision Pro. Yes, it’s another VR headset. But it’s from Apple—a company that knows a thing or twenty about highly usable consumer electronics.
Tech publications and other media outlets are now making space for the Return of the Metaverse amid the great GenAI hype cycle. Time will tell whether this is actually the time for mixed reality headsets to hit the mass market, or if it’ll be a valiant attempt by Apple.
Either way, there are now Two Next Big Things to talk about. PR folks: Ready, set, go…
Housekeeping Note: Context Collapse is taking the month off and will return in early July. I’m in the middle of moving and there’s a lot of moving work to do and a lot of client work to do and all in all, this is a damned good time to take a newsletter vacation. I’ve put all paid subscriptions on pause and will be back soon. Enjoy your June.
Attention digital agencies and in-house marketing departments who laid folks off and slashed budgets because you thought two employees with ChatGPT could handle everything: Ungerleider Works can help you if generative AI keeps making up facts about your clients that take forever to edit out. We can help you write copy that doesn’t require 24 hours of rewrites because ChatGPT isn’t psychic. We can be the writer at the client meeting who helps your account team look more impressive. Contact us.