Vivian Wilson, daughter of Elon Musk, has found a way to make her position on artificial intelligence known – by putting a malfunctioning robot at the center of the latest fashion campaign she’s starring in.
The 22-year-old is featured in Spanish clothing company Desigual’s new campaign, “Born to Disobey.” The project follows Wilson as she interacts with a humanoid machine called DESI 84, but she doesn’t treat it like the advanced piece of technology it was designed to be.
Instead, she deliberately gives the robot tasks it was never programmed to handle.
Wilson uses the machine as a golf tee, takes it for a walk as though it were a pet and even attempts to get it to pronounce the word “Desigual.” The robot struggles with the challenges and repeatedly malfunctions.
That eventually prompts Wilson to deliver one of the campaign’s central lines: “Some things aren’t meant to be fixed.”
The campaign was directed by PSG, with Desigual presenting it as a celebration of individuality and resistance to conformity.
The company said in a press release that its message was “a clear message: the greatest rebellion is no longer about fighting against the system but about refusing to be part of it. When everything invites you to obey, the answer is attitude, irony and the freedom to be yourself.”
Elon Musk’s daughter
But for Wilson, the project also offered a chance to address the growing use of AI in fashion.
Wilson, who does not use her father’s surname, told PEOPLE magazine that she wanted to speak out about the technology “because it takes jobs away from talented creatives while being detrimental for the environment.”
She also added: “Art is emotion through expression.
“Since emotion is inherently human, AI takes away any underlying intention and replaces it with plagiarized colors and shapes.”
That stance has attracted plenty of attention online, particularly because Wilson’s father, Elon Musk, is one of the most prominent figures pushing AI and robotics forward.
Wilson and Musk have been estranged for years. She has also been publicly critical of the billionaire.
“Her roasting her dad continues to give me life,” one person commented online, according to Tyla.
“Hail queen Vivian,” another fan declared.
Musk has put substantial resources behind humanoid robots, including Tesla’s Optimus project. He has previously argued that robots could eventually handle virtually any job a person can perform.
The campaign’s message has been widely viewed as a criticism of AI – making Wilson’s choice of subject particularly notable given her father’s ambitions for the technology.
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