Google Pulls “Dear Sydney” Olympics Ad After Backlash To Its Portrait Of A Young Girl Using AI

Following fierce backlash in recent days, Google has decided to remove an ad promoting its Gemini artificial intelligence tool from NBCUniversal coverage of the Paris Olympics.

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Titled “Dear Sydney,” the spot (watch it above) depicts a young girl being taught by her father to use Gemini to write a fan letter to her idol, American track-and-field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. “She wants to show Sydney some love and I’m pretty good with words, but this has to be just right,” the girl’s father says in a voiceover.

The idea that AI would be recommended by a parent to a child, as opposed to them handling the main task themselves, rankled a number of viewers, especially with the message set against the inspirational, family canvas of the Olympics.

“While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we have decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement provided to Deadline.

In an op-ed for the Washington Post, staffer Alexandra Petri wrote that the commercial “makes me want to throw a sledgehammer into the television” when it airs.

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“All of the buffoons excited by the prospect of AI taking over all our writing — report summaries, data surveys, children’s letters, all tossed into the same pile indiscriminately — are missing the point in a spectacular manner,” she continued. “To take away the ability to write for yourself is to take away the ability to think for yourself.”

Google, which has joined the AI arms race in a big way, is a major sponsor of the Olympics and has contributed significantly to the record performance of the Paris Games. NBCU recently projected that total revenue from the Games will come in at north of $1.25 billion.

In its statement, the tech giant sought to clarify its position in light of the negative reception of the ad. “We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it,” the statement said. “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.”

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