Google has pulled its latest Olympics ad featuring its chatbot Gemini after widespread criticism over its depiction of artificial intelligence (AI) in a child’s creative process.
The ad, titled “Dear Sydney,” showed a father using the Gemini AI chatbot to help his daughter write a fan letter to her idol, American sprinter and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The ad, which aired multiple times during its first week of release, Olympic Gamessparked controversy, with viewers wondering why a child’s creative expression was being outsourced to AI.
The ad shows the father asking the chatbot, “Gemini, help my daughter write a letter telling Sydney how inspiring she is.” The ad then briefly shows Gemini writing a draft, then ends with the daughter running on a track, with the text overlaid: “A little help from Gemini.”
Google removes controversial ad
While the ad is still available on YouTube, it has been removed from television broadcasts. In a response to CNBC, Google said: “While the ad was well-tested prior to airing, based on the feedback we have decided to phase it out from our Olympic broadcast.”
Google initially defended the ad, noting that Gemini was intended to provide a “jumping point” for writing ideas rather than replace real creativity. “We believe AI can be a great tool to enhance human creativity, but it can never replace it,” the company noted. “Our goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA.”
However, the backlash has intensified, with critics accusing Google of promoting automation at the expense of authenticity, particularly when it comes to children’s creative processes.
AI Ads Spark Debate in Creative Industry
Google isn’t alone in facing criticism for ads that seem to endorse AI’s intrusion into creative fields. Earlier this year, Apple faced a similar backlash after it aired a commercial that featured a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments and paint cans to unveil the new iPad Pro. The tech giant eventually apologized and pulled the ad from TV.
The debate over AI’s role in the creative industries is heating up, especially as AI models like OpenAI’s Gemini and ChatGPT continue to be trained on vast amounts of original creative work. OpenAI’s chief technology officer Mira Murati recently acknowledged that AI could replace some creative jobs, but argued that some of these roles “shouldn’t have existed in the first place.” This sentiment has sparked further controversy, particularly in Hollywood, where actors and unions have pushed back, including after Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of misusing her voice for her new ChatGPT AI voice called “Sky.”
First published: August 05, 2024 | 1:21 p.m. IST
