Apple Issues Apology As iPad Pro Ad Sparks Controversy in Artist Community

Apple recently issued an apology after facing massive backlash for releasing an advertisement featuring its iPad Pro. 

The advertisement showcased a stack of cameras, musical instruments, and art materials being crushed in an industrial press, sparking outrage among artists. The metaphorical video "crush!" was released by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple on Thursday.

“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world. Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry,” Tor Myhren told Adage.

This advertisement comes at a time when AI giants like ChatGPT are facing lawsuits by creators and publishers, who believe their work is being used without their consent.

Earlier this month, eight US newspapers filed a copyright infringement against ChatGPT and Copilot for allegedly using “millions of the publishers' copyrighted articles without permission and without payment” to train their AI offerings.

As AI comes into a broader play, various industries are getting hit by changes in trends. This has eventually led to widespread concerns in the media and creative sectors. 

Meanwhile, Apple is currently facing allegations in an antitrust case alongside Google. The Alphabet-owned company reportedly paid Apple over $20 billion in 2022 for keeping Google as a 'default' search engine. 

The billion-dollar deal not only helped Google get an edge over other search engines but also created a 'dominant' position for the tech giant.