Apple apologizes for controversial announcement of its new iPad and will not broadcast it on television | Technologies

Someone at Apple thought it was a good idea, to celebrate creativity, to run an ad showing a huge hydraulic dam crushing a record player, a trumpet, a piano, a guitar, a drum set, a metronome, books, cameras, a typewriter. , video games, paintings, some sculpture… Finally, after the video (called Crush, crush) launching the new iPad as a symbol of technology destroying human creativity, the company eventually admitted that it had missed the mark, apologized and assured that it would not broadcast it on television.

In the ad, after the hydraulic dam has crushed all those leisure and creative tools, the iPad Pro appears, as if a tablet could replace a piano or guitar. The publication of the video on social networks caused complaints from authors and creatives. Apple’s own advisor Tim Cook tweeted about this, which was followed by an endless cascade of criticism and outraged messages. There was also some constructive messaging, such as the suggestion to flip the video and make all those favorite objects come out of the iPad.

“The destruction of human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley,” tweeted actor Hugh Grant. “I’m definitely the target audience for the new iPad Pro, but this ad is insensitive and insulting to artists of all stripes,” cartoonist James Kochalka tweeted. “We treat our instruments with respect and respect and have a healthy dialogue with them. “Our instruments are reliable companions on the journey of art,” he added.

Many compared this message to mythical advertising. 1984 which served as the company’s launch of the Macintosh, in which Apple presented itself as the liberator of a technology aimed at enslaving people. Publication Crush This also comes at a time when there is some awareness of the ability of artificial intelligence to replace humans in tasks of all kinds, including creative ones.

Apple’s apology came through a statement to a specialized publication Ad age which echoed complaints from creatives. “Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to develop products that empower creative people around the world,” said Thor Mühren, Apple’s vice president of marketing. Ad age in the statement. “Our goal is always to celebrate the countless ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life using iPad. “We missed the mark with this video and we are very sorry.” Apple has decided not to air the ad on television, although Tim Cook has not yet removed it from his social networks.

Apple this week unveiled the most comprehensive update to its tablet line since 2018. The company surprised by debuting its own next-generation M4 processor in the new iPad Pro, which is not yet included in any of its computers. In addition to a complete redesign of the top-end iPads, the tech giant has updated its Air model, introducing it for the first time in a 13-inch version, which has until now been an exclusive size for the Pro models. Apple tablets.

In a post where Tim Cook tweeted out his controversial statement, he said: “Introducing the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product we’ve ever made, the most advanced screen we’ve ever made, with the incredible power of the M4 chip . Just imagine all the things you can create with it.”

The company is trying to revive falling iPad sales by releasing new iPad models. In the first quarter, they fell by 16.7%, to $5.559 million, and accounted for only 6.1% of the company’s turnover.

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