Tesla’s “Tron: Ares” Update Hasn’t Gone Over Well

It has somehow been 11 years since the moment when Apple decided that it would be a good idea to load U2’s latest album, Songs of Innocence, into everyone’s iTunes account whether or not they wanted it. The backlash to this decision was swift and stinging, and it also had the effect of making most of the conversation about said U2 album about Apple’s cross-promotional move and not whether it was, you know, any good. But at least everyone learned a valuable lesson about blending art, technology and commerce from the controversy.

Almost everyone, it turns out. This week, Tesla drivers received a new update, which was less about new functionality and more about, well, promoting the new film Tron: Ares. “The grid has expanded to your Tesla — Tron: Ares update rolling out now,” Tesla declared in a social media post, touting a new feature that adds some very Tron-esque visuals to the in-vehicle display.

A survey of recent posts on r/TeslaLounge suggests that not everyone is enamored with getting what’s essentially an ad for a new blockbuster movie in their car. (As with virtually any debate involving Teslas, passions ran hot on all sides of the debate.) As Electrek’s Fred Lambert pointed out, a corporate partnership between Tesla and Disney is also unexpected given some of Elon Musk’s comments about (and actions regarding) Disney in recent years.

The Tron update on its own isn’t what seems to have frustrated these drivers as much as the fact that drivers weren’t given an option to opt out of it. Most system updates, regardless of the make of a vehicle, are designed to upgrade your experience; letting drivers tap into their inner science fiction blockbuster character might be fun, but it’s far from essential.

This update isn’t the only way Tesla has embraced the new film. In a review headlined “The New Tron Movie Is Pro-A.I. Propaganda,” Slate’s Sam Adams pointed to another element of an unlikely corporate partnership. Adams noted that “Ares’ premiere featured A.I. slop created by Elon Musk’s Grok and a demo for his Optimus robot” — something Adams connected to the film’s overall attitude towards technology.

Are there plenty of Tesla drivers who’d enjoy a Tron-themed update? Certainly, just as plenty of people would enjoy a free U2 album. The issue in both of these cases isn’t the free aspect; it’s when a large corporation gives you a promotional campaign without asking. And evidently, the lessons of 2014 didn’t take long to forget.