Pika’s Dystopian Ad Sells AI as the Ultimate Escape From Reality

Jared Leto’s AI Startup Blends Apocalypse and Animation in Controversial Campaign

Jared Leto-backed AI video startup Pika just dropped a two-minute ad that feels like a Black Mirror episode. Airing on ReelzTV and social platforms, the spot leans into AI as a digital refuge from global chaos—complete with war imagery, crumbling infrastructure, and a fireball hurtling toward oblivion. Directed by Marie Schuller via RSA, the ad opens with a girl casually using Pika’s AI tools in a cozy home. Then, the camera pans to the window: a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a tilted American flag, toppled power lines, fires, and a carcass. The message? Reality’s broken. AI’s your escape pod.

“The ad’s provocation scared off major TV stations,” says Christina Cooksey, founder of Ceiling Train, Pika’s marketing partner. “But that’s the point—AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a lifeline.”

The ad’s climax is pure surrealism. As the girl scrolls on her phone, oblivious, a fireball barrels toward her—only to morph into a cartoonish AI animation, courtesy of Pika’s tech. It’s a jarring, almost nihilistic pitch: tune out the world’s collapse with generative AI. While AI-driven ads often spark backlash (see: Google’s cringe-worthy “AI Overviews”), Pika’s approach is unapologetically bold, blending high-end production with AI-enhanced effects to sell a dystopian fantasy.

From Viral Gimmicks to High-Stakes Storytelling

A year ago, Pika went viral with “Squish It,” a tool that turned selfies or product shots into videos of animated hands squishing them. Now, the startup is aiming higher—literally. The new ad targets content creators, social media managers, and brands by framing AI as a shortcut to professional-grade content. But it’s also a flex: Pika’s team, alongside production partners, used their own AI tools to amplify the ad’s effects, proving the product can warp reality as easily as it creates it.

Critics might call the ad tone-deaf, but Pika’s betting on shock value. In a world where AI tools are often reduced to productivity hacks, the company’s embrace of apocalyptic storytelling sets it apart. Whether it’s genius or grim depends on how you view the future—and how much you trust AI to rewrite it.