This branding shift mirrors our collective internal struggles. We want to believe that clever machines might save us from ourselves. We're seduced by visions of a techno-utopia where innovation somehow erases our ecological debt. But deep down, this is magical thinking.

Most troubling is the inequality embedded in this narrative pivot. While corporations and affluent consumers immerse themselves in AI fantasies, frontline communities continue bearing the brunt of climate disasters. The "we're all in this together" rhetoric of early sustainability campaigns has given way to a more individualistic innovation narrative that leaves too many behind.

Brands must be more honest. They need to acknowledge that AI's energy demands are massive. They must admit that there are no technological shortcuts around the fundamental physics of our climate crisis. We need them to help us hold the tension between progress and preservation, rather than offering false choices.

In the twilight of the Anthropocene, we're looking for brands brave enough to be humanity's doulas, guiding us through the difficult birthing of a new relationship with our planet. Not by distracting us with technological spectacle, but by helping us face our planetary reality with courage and creativity.

The hard truth remains: the wonder of innovation cannot stand in for the wisdom of responsibility. We're still waiting for brands to embody both.