MKBHD calls out AI company’s CEO for using ‘fake’ statement to sell their product

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Okay, so I was really surprised to see Marques Brownlee, MKBHD, getting into it with the CEO of an AI company. Apparently, they took something he said on X – formerly Twitter – completely out of context and were claiming he’d said something he hadn’t. It’s frustrating to see that kind of thing happen, especially to someone as careful with his words as Marques!

Marques Brownlee, with 23 million YouTube followers, has often created popular videos sharing his opinions on different artificial intelligence companies.

In 2024, a tech creator’s harsh review of the Humane AI Pin went viral, with him calling it the worst product he’d ever tested. Later that same year, he publicly criticized a company for using an AI-generated version of his voice in their advertisements, describing their actions as dishonest and unethical.

He recently criticized the AI hardware company, Pocket, for publishing a quote on their website that he says he never actually spoke.

Brownlee discovers AI company quoted his GIF post

I was scrolling through a website for some AI tool and actually saw a quote attributed to me! It was so strange because I didn’t remember ever saying it, so naturally, I had to click and see where they got it from.

Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) explained that when he clicked a link on the Pocket app, it led him to a post on X. The post featured a picture of NFL player Russell Westbrook, and MKBHD commented, “Ahhh, that’s pretty interesting.”

I found a quote attributed to me on the website of some AI product I hadn’t even heard of. I didn’t recall ever saying it! When I clicked to see where it came from… well, let’s just say it wasn’t a good surprise. 😭

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) October 7, 2025

Shortly after the YouTuber shared his opinion, the CEO of Pocket AI, Akshay Narisetti, responded with a screenshot of an email from one of the YouTuber’s video producers. While the email mainly requested a review unit, the producer also mentioned that several people on their team found Pocket AI’s announcement to be intriguing.

Narisetti also mentioned that Marques’ team contacted them last year, expressing interest in Pocket. He shared the email from their producer as proof, and added that he’s been a fan of Marques’ work since childhood, wanting to simply set the record straight with the facts.

The CEO explained: “Just to clarify, you mentioned us on Twitter, and then your producer followed up with an email saying they found Pocket ‘really interesting’ and were requesting a sample unit.”

I took your likes as a sign of interest, so I briefly mentioned it on the website and included a link to your tweet. I’ve taken that down now to prevent any misunderstanding. I’d be happy to send you a review unit so you can try the product out yourself.

Marques responded by saying he disliked how the website presented his comments and offered the CEO some suggestions.

According to Brownlee, it’s generally a good idea to get permission before using someone’s quote in your marketing, or to stick to quotes they’ve already made publicly. While people may have different ideas about what’s acceptable, this is a safe approach.

It’s likely we’ll have different ideas about what’s acceptable, but a good guideline is this: if you plan to use someone’s quote to promote your product, it’s best to get their permission or use something they’ve already said publicly.

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) October 7, 2025

Throughout 2025, Marques Brownlee has consistently been a major topic of conversation on social media, and his recent reviews of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone Air are just the newest examples.

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2025-10-07 21:49