Google pulls ‘Dear Sydney’ AI ad from NBC’s Olympics coverage after backlash

NBC’s Olympics viewers will no longer be tormented by the Google AI Dear Sydney ad.

On Thursday, Ad Age reported that the widely-loathed ad , promoting AI service Gemini, had been pulled from the air by Google.

The ad features a father using the Google Gemini AI to help his daughter write a letter to track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

In a brief statement, Google said the ad’s “goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA.”

“We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it,” a Google spokesperson said to Ad Age for the story. “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.”

However, that “authentic story” didn’t come off on the ad at all. Instead, what the ad displayed was a father encouraging his daughter to let AI do all the work of coming up with something meant to be from the heart.

Critics labeled the “Dear Sydney” ad “disturbing,” “terrible,” and “dystopian,” which is not a great endorsement for Google, Gemini, or even Team USA and McLaughlin-Levrone. Hopefully it’s not something that sticks with McLaughlin-Levrone beyond these Olympics.

It took nearly a week from the Opening Ceremony for Google to read the room and pull the ad, which is still available on YouTube (albeit with comments disabled). Better late than never, I guess.

[ Ad Age ]

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