Table Of Contents
In a bid to leverage the global stage of the Olympics, Google launched its “Dear Sydney” advertisement featuring its AI model, Gemini. However, rather than achieving the intended emotional resonance, the ad has sparked significant backlash for its tone-deaf portrayal of artificial intelligence’s role in personal human interactions.
The Premise: A Father, A Daughter, and AI
The advertisement centers around a father who wishes to help his daughter, an aspiring young athlete, write a fan letter to her idol, Olympian and 400-meter-hurdle world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Rather than encouraging his daughter to pen the letter herself, the father turns to Google’s AI model, Gemini, to craft the message. “She wants to show Sydney some love, and I’m pretty good with words, but this has to be just right,” says the narrator dad, setting the stage for the AI intervention.
Public Outcry: A Missed Emotional Connection
The ad has not been well-received. Critics argue that it undermines the fundamental human experience of expressing one’s own feelings and thoughts. Shelly Palmer, a media professor at Syracuse University, described the commercial as “one of the most disturbing” he has ever seen. He emphasized that the essence of personal achievements and inspirations should be communicated through genuine human effort, not outsourced to artificial intelligence.
Lessons in AI and Human Interaction
The controversy surrounding Google’s ad highlights several key points about the public’s perception of AI. While artificial intelligence excels in many areas, such as data analysis and automation, its role in personal, emotive tasks remains a contentious issue. The backlash suggests that people are not yet ready to accept AI as a surrogate for human expression, especially in emotionally charged contexts like writing a heartfelt letter.
Industry Reactions and Comparisons
The criticism isn’t isolated to Google alone. Brand strategist Michael Miraflor compared the ad to a widely criticized Apple iPad commercial from May, noting that both suffered from a “sort of tone-deafness to the valid concerns and fears of the majority.” On LinkedIn, marketing strategist Lola Bakare questioned the ad’s premise, asking, “Isn’t the whole magic that the kid actually writes the fan letter themselves?”
Despite the negative feedback, Google’s ad is part of a broader trend among tech giants to showcase their AI capabilities in emotionally evocative scenarios. Microsoft also ran an Olympics-themed AI ad, which focused on practical applications of its Copilot for Microsoft 365, like generating insights from heart rate data and creating presentations. Unlike Google’s ad, Microsoft’s portrayal has faced significantly less criticism, perhaps due to its focus on enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them.
Conclusion: The Future of AI in Emotional Contexts
The backlash against Google’s “Dear Sydney” ad serves as a cautionary tale for tech companies. While AI has immense potential, its application in deeply personal and emotional contexts needs to be handled with care. As AI continues to evolve, striking the right balance between automation and human authenticity will be key to gaining public trust and acceptance. The Olympics, a celebration of human spirit and achievement, may not be the best platform to showcase AI’s capabilities in tasks that are inherently human.
By acknowledging these nuances, AI developers and marketers can better navigate the complex landscape of public perception and ethical considerations, ensuring that their innovations are both impactful and warmly received.
