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                        Misguided Apple Intelligence Ads

   Adam Engst

   Apple apparently hasn't learned much from the criticism it took earlier
   this year for an ad showing creative works unceremoniously crushed in
   an industrial press (see '[1]Apple Apologizes for Tone-Deaf 'Crush!'
   iPad Pro Ad,' 10 May 2024). A pair of new ads for Apple Intelligence
   portray the Writing Tools and Memories movies as tools for those
   unwilling to put in any effort.

   In the [2]first ad, Apple Intelligence enables a goof-off who wastes
   time and annoys his colleagues to surprise his boss with an
   unexpectedly well-written email. It's not clear that the boss is
   impressed; he just can't believe the guy would have written a
   professional message.

   IFRAME: [3]https://www.youtube.com/embed/3m0MoYKwVTM?feature=oembed

   Is the message that Apple Intelligence is aimed at the perpetually
   lazy? Where's the positive ad with a dyslexic child using Writing Tools
   to proofread a school essay or a businessperson using it to understand
   a complex report dumped on them minutes before a meeting?

   The [4]second ad channels a similar suggestion'that Apple Intelligence
   is a crutch for the thoughtless. In it, a woman realizes that she has
   forgotten her husband's birthday only after their kids give him
   thoughtful, homemade gifts, so she quickly uses Apple Intelligence to
   create a Memories movie of the children doing woodworking with their
   father. Apple Intelligence to the rescue! Apparently, making a Memories
   movie is easier than creating a repeating annual calendar event.

   IFRAME: [5]https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0BXZhdDqZM?feature=oembed

   Why would Apple want to promote the idea that Apple Intelligence can
   bail you out from failing to pay attention to the most important people
   in your life? It's trivially easy to imagine positive scenarios
   enhanced by a Memories movie, such as a teen sharing photos with an
   ailing grandparent in the hospital or high school friends reconnecting
   over shared sports photos. They might be a touch cloying, but Memories
   movies trend in that direction anyway.

   As it stands now, and likely as it will be in its next release, Apple
   Intelligence won't change the world or even your everyday Mac
   experience. But it can make a difference for some, and Apple would be
   better served by showing it helping those who are already trying to do
   good work and be good people.

   Imagine you work at Apple's ad agency. What ads would you like to see
   showcasing Apple Intelligence features?

References

   1. https://tidbits.com/2024/05/10/apple-apologizes-for-tone-deaf-crush-ipad-pro-ad/
   2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m0MoYKwVTM
   3. https://www.youtube.com/embed/3m0MoYKwVTM?feature=oembed
   4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0BXZhdDqZM
   5. https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0BXZhdDqZM?feature=oembed

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