Jane Goodall, one of the most admired scientists of the past century, is dead. The 91-year-old primatologist passed away earlier this month in California, but her voice is back on screens in a surprising place. You see, Apple has used her narration in a new Mac commercial called Great Ideas Start on Mac, and it is already sparking conversation.
The ad begins with a simple blinking cursor on a blank white screen. Goodall’s unmistakable voice breaks the silence: “Every story you love, every invention that moves you, every idea you wished was yours, all began as nothing. Just a flicker on a screen asking a simple question: What do you see?” It is poetic, thoughtful, and very much her style.
Apple reportedly recorded the narration before her death, turning this campaign into what feels like an unintentional farewell. The commercial fits the company’s usual style, linking the Mac to creativity and invention. Yet now, the tone feels heavier. Hearing Goodall speak from beyond the grave adds a layer of emotion Apple could not have planned for.
Still, it raises an uncomfortable question. Can the voice of a deceased 91-year-old scientist actually help sell computers? There is a fine line between tribute and exploitation. Apple has not said when the recording was made or whether Goodall’s estate approved the final edit. Given the timing, it is easy to see why some might find it unsettling.
Goodall’s life’s work was about empathy, curiosity, and respect for nature. She was not known for her relationship with technology or consumer brands. So hearing her promote a MacBook feels odd, even if the message about creativity is sincere. There is no doubt Apple means it as a celebration, but the result blurs the line between honoring a legacy and using it to drive sales.
Whether this campaign resonates or backfires will depend on how viewers interpret it. Some will see it as a touching tribute to a brilliant woman whose words still inspire imagination. Others may see a multitrillion-dollar company using nostalgia and mortality to move hardware.
Either way, Jane Goodall’s voice once again makes people stop and think. Even in death, she has found a way to ask the same timeless question that drove her entire life’s work: What do you see?
