‘Despicable Me 4’ Super Bowl trailer mocks AI-generated images with Minions

More than 100 million people watch the Super Bowl every year, making it one of the most highly-watched televised events in the United States. So, it’s no wonder that so many big brands pay top dollar to advertise during the big game.

It’s even better when an ad comes along with something to say during its 30 second spotlight during the Super Bowl.

Case in point for this year: The Super Bowl ad for the upcoming animated film, Despicable Me 4.

That’s right, Gru and the Minions might walk away with the best Super Bowl ad of the year. Why? Because the ad openly mocks all of those awful AI-generated images mucking up the internet.

The ad begins with images of AI-generated images in all their AI glory – women with multiple legs doing yoga, a handshake featuring two hands with way too many fingers, a group of friends chomping on raw spaghetti together – all narrated by actor Jon Hamm.

“Artificial intelligence is changing the way we see the world,” Hamm says, as the AI generated images appear. “Showing us what we never thought possible, transforming the way we do business and bringing family and friends closer.” 

“Together with artificial intelligence, the future is in good hands” Hamm says as we get to the big reveal: The AI-generated images aren’t being created by computers at all, but by hundreds of Minions wreaking havoc in a giant office space. The trailer features one cackling Minion sitting at a photo editing program as he seeks to make one image as silly as possible.

Get it? AI-generated images are so bad that they have to really be created by a group of mischievous pranksters like the Minions who are doing it on purpose. One has to think that the actual artists behind Despicable Me 4 had a good time making this one.

Illumination/Universal Pictures’ Despicable Me 4 features the return of Stephen Carrell as the voice of Gru. Will Ferrell will be joining the cast as Gru’s new nemesis, Maxime Le Mal. “AI-generated” images of the two together make a brief appearance in the Super Bowl trailer as well.  

Despicable Me 4 hits theaters on July 3, 2024.