Viral Ad Spotlights AI Job Fears and Energy Demands

A spoof advertisement depicting aged versions of tech billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman running a gym to power artificial intelligence has gone viral, tapping into growing anxieties about job displacement and the energy consumption of AI. The ad, created by Belgian creative agency AiCandy, presents a dystopian future where humans exercise to generate the energy needed to sustain increasingly powerful AI systems.

The Energym Concept

The advertisement centers around “Energym,” a fictional gym chain founded by the AI-aged tech leaders. In the ad, the AI versions of Musk, Altman, and Bezos explain that by 2030, widespread job losses due to AI automation will leave a significant portion of the population without purpose. Energym offers a solution: unemployed individuals can maintain their physical health while simultaneously contributing to the immense energy demands of AI through strenuous exercise on stationary bikes and rowing machines.

AiCandy and the “Bottom of Truth”

Jan De Loore, 42, and Hans Buyse, 52, founded AiCandy in 2025. De Loore explained that the video’s popularity stems from its resonance with two key concerns surrounding AI: its potential to eliminate jobs and its substantial energy requirements. “Of course, it’s a joke, but in every good joke, there’s a bottom of truth,” he told Fortune.

The Faces of AI Change

De Loore and Buyse specifically chose Musk, Altman, and Bezos to feature in the ad because they are widely recognized as the public faces of AI and the transformative changes it is bringing about. The ad accurately captures the public personas of these tech leaders, contributing to its viral spread.

Rising AI Job Anxiety

The advertisement’s release coincides with a period of increasing anxiety about the impact of AI on employment. While some studies question the direct correlation between AI and overall productivity, recent corporate actions have fueled these concerns. For example, Block Inc. Co-founder Jack Dorsey has linked recent layoffs to the increased adoption of “intelligence tools,” and discussions about AI’s potential to replace white-collar workers have gained traction.

AI as a Creativity Enabler

Despite the dystopian themes explored in the ad, De Loore also highlighted the potential of AI as a “creativity enabler.” He noted that AI has streamlined the video production process, allowing smaller teams to achieve results that previously required significant resources. Though, he emphasized that human creativity remains essential, particularly in scriptwriting and brainstorming.

Navigating the AI Landscape

AiCandy is experiencing increased demand from clients interested in incorporating AI into their video advertisements. However, the agency is selective about the projects it undertakes, declining jobs where the primary motivation is simply cost reduction. De Loore stated that AiCandy prioritizes the creative possibilities of AI and seeks to create innovative content that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive without it.

Key Takeaways

• A viral ad from AiCandy depicts a dystopian future where humans power AI through physical exercise.
• The ad highlights growing anxieties about job displacement and the energy demands of AI.
• AiCandy emphasizes the creative potential of AI while remaining committed to human-driven innovation.
• The ad features AI-generated versions of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman.