Jason Kelce broke the internet last week with a viral Liquid Death and Garage Beer ad that suggested Americans send their pee (yes you read that correctly) to AI-data centers, which “waste millions of gallons of water.”
In a provocative campaign that signals where public sentiment is on AI, the former NFL center and Garage Beer co-owner suggested consumers drink the brands’ beer and sparkling water, then send their pee to “cool these data centers.”
Take a peek:
The brand collab is the latest in a recent slate of both subtle and obvious anti-AI marketing. Other companies have employed tactics like using messy handwriting to show anti-perfection authenticity or have explicitly stated that a visual was made by humans.
This comes as Americans are increasingly anxious about AI.
We know Gen Z has a love hate relationship with AI, but lately, we’re sensing more hate than love.
*Read our related piece, A chorus of Gen Z graduation boos*
According to Pew Research data released last week, for the first time since they’ve been tracking AI sentiment, “a majority of adults under 30 (55%) now say they’re more concerned than excited about AI.” That’s a 24-point jump since 2021.
That data tracks with what we’ve been hearing about AI lately from members of The Up and Up’s Gen Z community.
Asked how and if their feelings on AI and relationship to the technology had changed in recent months, more than a few young adults told us they’ve soured on it altogether.
(🚨 Spoiler alert! There were plenty more replies like these, stay tuned for a full breakdown in our Fall 2026 Back to Reality report, coming out next week 🚨)
“I hate it, burn it down,” said a 23–year-old New Yorker.
“I always had a bad feeling about it but I don’t want to fuel using this type of tech because it makes me feel dumber and like I’m contributing to a system that is taking jobs,” said another 22-year-old New Yorker.
“My community and hometowns are plagued by data centers, and that only strains my relations with AI,” said a 19-year-old from Texas.
“It is a plague on society,” said a 21-year-old from Maryland.
“I am still very against generative AI. There is only one Earth we can survive on,” said a 17-year-old from Arizona.
So it seems that Kelce’s ad is well-timed, and strikes a nerve, at least with Gen Z. At a time when it feels like all the adults in the room are talking about how necessary AI is and how young people will be left behind if they don’t get on board the AI train, the Liquid Death x Garage Beer campaign demonstrates smart, counter-cultural messaging — and it’s something I suspect we’re about to see a lot more.
Relatedly, I spoke to The New York Times’ Callie Holtermann for her recent report on ‘The Teens Taking on Data Centers.’ Read it here.
More noteworthy reads
Why Do Rich Kids Love Socialism?, Tyler Austin Harper for The Atlantic
Gen-Z wants to text at the speed of carrier pigeon, Molly Liebergall for Morning Brew
Television’s Hottest Genre is Today’s Job Market, Olivia Hau for The Wall Street Journal
For Gen Z, Building Wealth is in the Stock Market, Not the Housing Market, Sophie June for The New York Times