Google pulls controversial AI ad from Olympics coverage amid backlash

Google has decided to remove its “Dear Sydney” advert for Gemini from NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The ad aimed to market Google’s generative AI tools but instead created a heated debate about whether such AI uses are encouragable or, indeed, accepted by society at all. 

The controversial “Dear Sydney” ad featured a father using Google’s Gemini AI to help his young daughter write a letter to her idol, Olympic track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 

In the commercial, the father says, “I’m pretty good with words, but this has to be just right,” before turning to the AI for assistance. 

The ad then shows Gemini generating a draft letter, which includes phrases like “I’m working hard and dreaming big, just like you” and “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

This struck a nerve with many viewers, who felt it encouraged outsourcing heartfelt, personal communication to machines rather than promoting genuine human connection and creativity. 

The idea of parents using AI to help their child express admiration for a role model instead of guiding the child through the process themselves became the focal point of the debate. 

Alexandra Petri, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote that the ad “makes me want to throw a sledgehammer into the television every time I see it.” 

Petri argued that using AI for such tasks could undermine people’s ability to think and express themselves independently, stating, “To take away the ability to write for yourself is to take away the ability to think for yourself.”

Backlash spread rapidly on social media and in opinion pieces, with many expressing dismay at the idea of children being encouraged to rely on AI for tasks traditionally viewed as opportunities for personal growth and emotional development.

Google eventually felt compelled to interject the cacophony, as a spokesperson announced, “While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we have decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation.” 

Google later attempted to clarify its position on AI and creativity, stating to Ad Age, “We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it.”

“Our goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA. It showcases a real-life track enthusiast and her father, and aims to show how the Gemini app can provide a starting point, thought starter, or early draft for someone looking for ideas for their writing.”

Make no mistake about it – this is a bad U-turn for Google, as it’s not the only AI product they’ve pulled this year.

Gemini’s image generator was also temporarily closed after users found it producing disturbingly inaccurate historical photos, such as black Vikings or Asian popes.

Not long ago, Google’s Search Generative Experience – which combines generative AI with Google Search – returned absurd results, like encouraging people to gaze at the Sun. 

Cool pic.twitter.com/DsQQ1bC6A9

— Michael Ballaban (@Ballaban) May 24, 2024

The timing and placement of the ad contribute another layer to the controversy.

Google is a major sponsor of the Olympics, contributing to what NBC Universal projects will be over $1.25 billion in total revenue from the Paris Games.

The decision to pull such a high-profile ad during a major sporting event shows that Google probably knows it’s treading on thin ice.

This reminds us that generative AI is still young

This is part of a bigger story: people are wary of generative AI despite using it regularly, often every day. 

Studies show that trust in AI technologies is actually dropping due to generative AI, yet users are rocketing as people use generative AI tools in their daily lives. About one in six people in tech-savvy countries use AI tools daily. 

So why are people getting cold feet about AI?

It’s a mix of things. People are worried about their privacy, they’re concerned AI might make human skills less valuable, and they’re not sure if these tools have been tested enough.

Google’s ad controversy is a microcosm of this trend. Generative AI is hard to resist, but that doesn’t mean society is ready to accept it in all forms.

AI’s replacement of emotional, creative endeavors is exactly the kind of thing that makes people wonder if we’re letting AI step too far into our personal lives.

The tricky part is that AI is developing at breakneck speed. Companies like Google are trying to show off what their tech can do, but they’re running into these very human concerns about what role AI should play in our lives.

Marketing AI products while building public trust is a pretty unique challenge that companies have yet to crack. 

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