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An Illinois physician is calling out the White House’s new seemingly AI commercial about auto start/stop technology in cars, saying it promotes stereotypes and culture war while ignoring public health consequences. Dr. Rubin, an allergist and immunologist who posts on TikTok under the handle @rubin_allergy, reacted to the commercial in a video that quickly gained traction.
The Commercial
The seemingly AI commercial in question shows a Prius, covered in bumper stickers, stopping at a red light. Inside are two larger-bodied people with blue hair, visibly sweating. The scene implies the car’s auto stop feature has shut off its air conditioning. A second car pulls up beside them. Its driver is a thin blonde woman sipping what appears to be a glass bottle of Coke. When the light turns green, she speeds off. The screen cuts to black and shows the text “Leaving auto stop in the dust…”. It then cuts to a screen saying that the commercial is a production of the White House and Donald J. Trump.
Rubin’s and the commenters’ reactions
Dr. Rubin, an Illinois physician, points to the stark contrast between the cars and their drivers. Saying the commercial leans on stereotypes and body shaming. User ennasien commented, “They are so obsessed with blue hair, it’s honestly wild.” Ruben says that it is inappropriate for the federal executive branch to be producing this kind of messaging. Commenters overwhelmingly agreed. User chipleach wrote, “This commercial was obviously not about auto start stop, this was clearly meant to divide and fuel the culture war.”
He goes on to explain that the commercial doesn’t even properly represent how auto start/stop systems work. He explains that the feature is designed to improve fuel economy and decrease emissions. When a car stops at a red light, the engine briefly turns off. He notes that this doesn’t even necessarily turn off the car’s AC, a point that many commenters stressed. One user, astiles2026, wrote: “Auto start/stop doesn’t turn off the a/c?! WTF.” User black_n_dustysrt8 replied, “Especially on a Prius… But reality has never stopped this administration from lying.” Dr. Rubin also stresses that drivers are typically given the option to disable this feature when present.
Dr. Rubin goes further than criticizing the tone of the commercial; he connects its underlying policies to public health risks. He explains that the Environmental Protection Agency previously gave car manufacturers credits to encourage the adoption of auto start/stop technology. The removal of this incentive has discouraged the feature’s prevalence. He says this all fits into the Trump administration’s broader efforts to roll back environmental regulations in the name of short-term economic gain.
As a physician out of Chicago, Illinois, he focuses on the health consequences of this narrative. More emmissions means more air pollution. More air pollution leads to increasing respiratory and sinus problems, and other more serious issues like preterm births. The commercial frames the issue as a joke, but he says the stakes are much higher.
