Apple has apologised for an advertisement for its latest iPad Pro model in which it shows an animation of musical instruments being crushed. 

The ad, which was released by the tech giant on Tuesday, shows a hydraulic press crushing just about every creative instrument artists and consumers have used over the years — from a piano and record player, to piles of paint, books, cameras and relics of arcade games. 

The hydraulic press then lifts back up to reveal a pristine, iPad Pro. 

"The most powerful iPad ever is also the thinnest," a narrator says at the end of the commercial. 

It is supposed to symbolise how much the new, thinner model encompasses. 

But the advertisement received swift criticism online from X users, including actor Hugh Grant. 

"The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley," he wrote. 

Some found the ad to be a telling metaphor of the industry today — particularly concerned about big tech negatively impacting creatives.

Filmmaker Justine Bateman wrote on X that the commercial "crushes the arts".

Apple then apologised in a statement given to publication Ad Age. 

"Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."

The outlet also reported that Apple no longer plans to run the spot on TV.

Online commenters criticised the ad as insensitive and an unwelcome departure from the company's historic positioning of its brand as nonconformist, human friendly and an antidote to a dystopian, colourless world.

The Cupertino-California based tech giant unveiled the tablet on Tuesday with a new chip for artificial intelligence computing as it rushes to catch up with its big tech rivals in a race to dominate the emerging technology.

Apple said the iPad Pro has upgraded displays and is "the thinnest Apple product ever".

AP/Reuters