Jon Stewart walks away from Apple TV show after dispute over AI, China episodes
Jon Stewart and Apple are pulling the plug on The Problem with Jon Stewart.
After just two seasons and 20 total episodes, comedian and former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart and Apple have agreed to go their separate ways, ending the current affairs TV series. The television show debuted in 2021 and aired exclusively on Apple TV+.
Each episode of The Problem with Jon Stewart focused on a single issue like climate change, racism, and "The War Over Gender." According to a New York Times report, two sources with knowledge of the situation, confirmed that the show would not return and explained that its abrupt end was due to creative differences over topics for upcoming episodes.
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The report states that Stewart and Apple executives began butting heads over potential topics for upcoming episodes as the show planned out its upcoming season. Stewart told his show's staff that Apple executives had issues with specific episodes in the works on the topic of China and AI.
It's currently unclear exactly what the dispute was about for these particular episodes. Apple obviously maintains a significant relationship with China as a manufacturing partner for a number of its devices. In addition, a recent report claimed that the company is spending millions of dollars a day on artificial intelligence development.
With the 2024 presidential campaign and election coming up, a source claimed future disputes over content were certain to be brought up over the next year. It seems both sides preferred to end the program before reaching that point.
Stewart and Apple's split wouldn't be the first time a streaming company interjected over creative differences on a politics and news show. For example, in 2019, Netflix was roundly criticized after pulling an episode of Hasan Minaj's The Patriot Act show from its platform in Saudi Arabia over content skewering Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Problem with Jon Stewart's show staff were told that the show was ending on Thursday. Before that, it was scheduled to begin filming for season 3 in the upcoming weeks.
