Apple is facing backlash after releasing an ad for their new iPad Pro that unintentionally ignited controversy surrounding generative AI in the arts. Many working creatives are concerned that AI technology is devaluing human labor and threatening their livelihoods. Artists have seen their work used to train AI models without permission or compensation, resulting in machine-made content that undermines the value of their creativity.
The ad, titled “Crush!”, shows various artistic tools being mercilessly crushed under an industrial press, ultimately revealing the sleek new iPad Pro as the end result. While the ad is meant to showcase the tablet as a versatile tool for creating art, many on social media interpreted it as a tasteless boast from Silicon Valley, symbolizing the literal crushing of human creativity. Commentators were surprised by Apple’s seemingly out-of-touch approach, especially considering the company’s past image as a hip and counter-cultural corporation.
The controversy surrounding generative AI has been growing, with concerns about AI-generated content spreading misinformation, spam, and non-consensual pornography on social media platforms. The negative impacts of AI technology have become increasingly apparent, with instances such as a digital imitation of the late rapper Tupac Shakur in a Drake diss track leading to legal threats from Shakur’s estate. Additionally, AI-generated fakes tricked social media users into believing that celebrities like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga had attended the Met Gala.
The backlash against generative AI and its impact on the arts industry is becoming more pronounced. Many are pushing back against the use of AI technology in creative fields, highlighting its damaging effects on artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. The Apple ad, symbolizing the crushing of artistic tools to make way for technological advancement, has reignited the debate around human creativity versus AI efficiency. Some have edited the ad in reverse to showcase the resilience of human creativity in the face of Silicon Valley dominance.
Apple’s new iPad Pro ad, which inadvertently mirrored the controversy surrounding generative AI in the arts, has sparked outrage online. Many working creatives are anxious about the rise of AI technology, which is seen as devaluing human labor and creativity. The backlash against generative AI is growing as concerns about its negative impacts on the arts industry become more apparent. The ad’s depiction of artistic tools being crushed under an industrial press has been interpreted as a metaphor for the dominance of AI technology over human creativity, sparking discussions about the future of art in an increasingly AI-driven world.
