A 40-second AI-generated spoof advertisement by Belgian startup AiCandy has taken social media by storm, imagining a surreal future in which humans power artificial intelligence with their own physical energy as tech giants look on visibly older and eerily calm.
The video, titled “Energym,” depicts a fictional year 2036 where AI dominates the world so completely that nearly 80% of people have lost their jobs to automation. In response, a new company Energym offers a bizarre solution: humans pedal on exercise bikes, row, and participate in group workouts to generate electricity for the very AI systems that replaced them.
Using advanced generative AI tools, AiCandy created versions of Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Jeff Bezos aged and digitally altered as founders or spokespeople for Energym. In the ad, AI-generated “Musk” explains that after machines took most jobs, humans were left with “no money, no purpose — but a lot of time on their hands.” The solution, according to the spoof narrative, was to harness that time and effort to fuel the AI systems themselves.
The concept playfully riffs on dystopian science-fiction themes much like the episode Fifteen Million Merits from the TV series Black Mirror, where humans pedal for power while also spotlighting growing debates around AI’s energy consumption and impact on jobs.
Since its release as an Instagram Reel, the Energym ad has racked up millions of views and spurred widespread sharing across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and LinkedIn. Some viewers found the scenario humorous, others unsettling but almost everyone engaged with the conversation it sparked.
Even U.S. Senator Chris Murphy reposted the clip, remarking that it “doesn’t feel like a parody of anything really,” highlighting how the satire taps into genuine anxieties about AI’s future role in society.
The founders of AiCandy, Hans Buyse and Jan De Loore, said they did not anticipate the viral explosion. The duo, a seasoned advertising professional and a motion designer initially conceived the idea to ironically tackle concerns about AI’s energy use, after clients criticized AI for being “polluting” or too energy-hungry.
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The ad’s success has led to collaboration offers from other creative studios and media producers, though the creators say they are still hoping to get a response from the real Elon Musk himself.
Reactions online range from laughter and admiration for the clever production, to thoughtful discussion about how AI might reshape work, energy and human purpose — a sign that the spoof, while fictional, touches on some real-world conversations about technology’s direction.
In short, the Energym clip has transcended mere parody to become a viral flashpoint part satire, part social speculation and a vivid demonstration of how AI itself can be used to spark reflection on the future it is helping to build.
