Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk’s daughter, appears in a new Desigual campaign that challenges artificial intelligence, conformity and the idea of following instructions. The campaign features Wilson alongside a malfunctioning humanoid robot, DESI84, with slogans including “He was designed to obey. Not me” and “Some things aren’t meant to be fixed.”
A Critique Of AI And Automation
Wilson said AI removes the intention behind human-created art and replaces it with what she described as “plagiarized colors and shapes.”
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“Since emotion is inherently human, AI takes away any underlying intention and replaces it with plagiarized colors and shapes,” she said.
Her comments fit the campaign’s criticism of automation, while its messaging also carries a more personal dimension given Wilson’s public history with her father.
Campaign Draws Attention To Musk Family Rift
Wilson, born in 2004 to Musk and his first wife, Justine Wilson, transitioned at 16 with her parents’ consent. At 18, she successfully petitioned to adopt her mother’s maiden name, further distancing herself from her father. She has since become a model, influencer and prominent advocate for trans rights in the US. Musk has publicly referred to Vivian as “dead” and said she was “infected by the woke mind virus.”
Against that background, campaign lines about obedience and fixing can be read as commentary not only on AI, but also on Wilson’s public separation from her father. The campaign does not explicitly make that connection.
Robot Imagery Adds Another Layer
The campaign’s malfunctioning DESI84 robot also invites comparisons with Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot. Whether intentional or not, the visual parallel adds another connection to Musk and his technology business. For Desigual, the campaign combines fashion with a critique of AI and automation. For Wilson, it reinforces a public image centered on self-definition and resistance to established power structures.
Wilson Has Criticized Musk Before
Wilson has previously challenged her father publicly. Last year, she responded on Threads to controversy over a gesture Musk made at Donald Trump’s inauguration, writing, “I’m just gonna say let’s call a spade a fucking spade.”
She later mocked attempts to explain away the gesture as a misunderstanding and rejected suggestions that autism could account for it. Her latest campaign therefore continues a pattern of publicly challenging Musk while establishing an identity separate from him.
