A bizarre incident in the United Kingdom has sparked a wide debate after a British woman was rushed to the hospital. She was frightened by an advertisement that appeared on her smart Samsung refrigerator. The woman, who suffers from schizophrenia and has a history of psychotic episodes, mistook the ad for a personal message and believed she was having a new psychotic crisis. The promotional ad, which featured a striking yellow background and the phrase "Sorry to bother you, Carol," was part of an innovative marketing campaign for the Pluribus series on Apple TV+. However, its personal wording led the woman, whose name was Carol, to believe the message was directed at her personally. This caused her to call a taxi and go directly to the emergency room. According to a post shared by her sister on social media, the woman saw the message on the refrigerator's LED screen. Doctors placed her under medical supervision for two days to adjust her medication. Other Samsung refrigerator owners reported receiving the same ad. The incident has raised broader concerns about the nature of advertisements sent to smart home devices, especially those crafted to resemble direct communication with the user.
