Google Gemini is the parent no one asked for in the now-retracted Olympic ad
Google’s plan to show off the leaps and bounds of its Gemini AI assistant at the 2024 Paris Olympics hit a snag at the opening ceremony when its new “Dear Sydney” commercial drew some very low ratings from some viewers. The ad was meant to tie Gemini to how Olympic medalist Sydney McLaughlin inspired a little girl. Instead, it appeared to suggest that the girl’s father should outsource helping his daughter write a fan letter to the AI.
The ad’s story is told by the girl’s father, who initially uses Gemini to find ways to help his daughter train for track and field events. But he then asks Gemini to write a letter for his daughter to send to McLaughlin. The piece ends with a cute bit about the girl apologizing for her dream of breaking McLaughlin’s record while Eve’s 2001 song, “Who’s That Girl?” plays. But the request for the letter came across as jarring to some viewers.
“She wants to show Sydney some love and I’m pretty good with words, but this has to be just right,” the father says. “Help my daughter write a letter telling Sydney how inspiring she is.”
The reaction from many online was that it implied that the father had taken his daughter’s sweet request for help writing a letter to her hero and brushed it off to Gemini as a chore. Plus, it might seem a bit cold for AI to write a heartfelt letter from a child telling McLaughlin how much the Olympian inspired her instead of being coached by her father.
Father Twins
Some critics argued that the ad undermines the value of personal, human connection and creativity, suggesting that AI could replace meaningful interactions. These are common fears surrounding generative AI like Gemini, but Google seems to be inadvertently framing those implications as a positive goal. And that’s before discussing the fact that the father is “pretty good with words” and therefore shouldn’t need the help in the first place. The bit where Gemini is asked for help with the training didn’t elicit the same visceral reaction, though it might have had the father say he was “pretty good” at coaching kids to Olympic gold.
Google is investing heavily in making Gemini a part of this year’s Olympics. The tech giant struck a deal with NBCUniversal and Team USA to integrate Gemini into its broadcast of the games. NBC commentators will use Google Search’s AI Overviews feature during their coverage, including “chief superfan commentator,” Leslie Jones.
Google survived the negative reactions for a while. The company indirectly acknowledged the complaints about the ad by disabling comments on the YouTube video, implying indirectly that people didn’t understand the ad.
“Our goal was to create an authentic story that honors Team USA,” Google said in a statement at the start of the outcry. “It features a real-life track enthusiast and her father, and aims to show how the Gemini app can provide a jumping-off point, a thought starter, or an early draft for someone looking for ideas for their writing.”
Ultimately, Google managed to read the handwriting on the wall that had collapsed on top of them and pulled the ad before the end of the Olympics. Whether this means the company will be revamping its Gemini marketing altogether or simply doing more testing before releasing ads is unclear.
“While the ad was tested well in advance of its broadcast, given the feedback, we’ve decided to gradually phase it out of our Olympic rotation,” Google said in a statement. “We believe AI can be a great tool to enhance human creativity, but can never replace it.”
Perhaps the company should have asked Gemini. When asked, “Is it a good idea to advertise AI with an ad that shows how AI can help a child learn to write a letter better than their parents?” Gemini responded, “No, it is not a good idea to advertise AI with that ad. This approach undermines the fundamental role of parents in a child’s life and upbringing.”
