Toys ‘R’ Us caught similar heat. In June, the toy retailer debuted its AI-generated “The Origin of Toys ‘R’ Us” ad featuring a child version of its late founder Charles Lazarus.

It received mixed reactions, with some users on X liking the ad and others not so much. AI video maker Allen T. pointed out discrepancies in the depictions of Lazarus throughout the ad.

“Hands still need work,” he wrote in one post.  

Consumers are also uncomfortable with ads promoting AI-powered tools that minimize creativity and humanity. Apple’s Crush ad, released in May, was pilloried for depicting creative tools, like paint brushes and cameras, being crushed by a hydraulic press.

And Google’s ad Dear Sydney, released ahead of the 2024 Olympics, was widely panned for depicting a father using AI to help his daughter write a letter to her icon, a scenario many felt stripped a sweet father-daughter moment of its humanity.