Google has decided to remove its “Dear Sydney” advert for Gemini from NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The ad aimed to market Google’s generative AI tools but as a substitute created a heated debate about whether such AI uses are encouragable or, indeed, accepted by society in any respect.
The controversial “Dear Sydney” ad featured a father using Google’s Gemini AI to assist his young daughter write a letter to her idol, Olympic track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
In the industrial, the daddy says, “I’m pretty good with words, but this must be excellent,” before turning to the AI for assistance.
The ad then shows Gemini generating a draft letter, which incorporates phrases like “I’m working hard and dreaming big, similar to you” and “I need to be similar to you once I grow up.”
This struck a nerve with many viewers, who felt it encouraged outsourcing heartfelt, personal communication to machines slightly than promoting real human connection and creativity.
The idea of oldsters using AI to assist their child express admiration for a job model as a substitute of guiding the kid through the method themselves became the focus of the controversy.
Alexandra Petri, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote that the ad “makes me need to throw a sledgehammer into the tv each time I see it.”
Petri argued that using AI for such tasks could undermine people’s ability to think and express themselves independently, stating, “To take away the flexibility to jot down for yourself is to remove the flexibility to think for yourself.”
Backlash spread rapidly on social media and in opinion pieces, with many expressing dismay at the thought of youngsters being encouraged to depend on AI for tasks traditionally viewed as opportunities for private growth and emotional development.
Google eventually felt compelled to interject the cacophony, as a spokesperson announced, “While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we’ve decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation.”
Google later attempted to make clear its position on AI and creativity, stating to Ad Age, “We imagine that AI might be a fantastic tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it.”
“Our goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA. It showcases a real-life track enthusiast and her father, and goals to indicate how the Gemini app can provide a place to begin, thought starter, or early draft for somebody searching for ideas for his or her writing.”
Make no mistake about it – this can be a bad U-turn for Google, because it’s not the one AI product they’ve pulled this yr.
Gemini’s image generator was also temporarily closed after users found it producing disturbingly inaccurate historical photos, corresponding to black Vikings or Asian popes.
Not way back, Google’s Search Generative Experience – which mixes generative AI with Google Search – returned absurd results, like encouraging people to stare upon the Sun.
Cool pic.twitter.com/DsQQ1bC6A9
The timing and placement of the ad contribute one other layer to the controversy.
Google is a significant sponsor of the Olympics, contributing to what NBC Universal projects will likely be over $1.25 billion in total revenue from the Paris Games.
The decision to tug such a high-profile ad during a significant sporting event shows that Google probably knows it’s treading on thin ice.
This reminds us that generative AI continues to be young
This is an element of a much bigger story: individuals are wary of generative AI despite using it recurrently, often on daily basis.
Studies show that trust in AI technologies is definitely dropping resulting from generative AI, yet users are rocketing as people use generative AI tools of their each day lives. About one in six people in tech-savvy countries use AI tools each day.
So why are people getting cold feet about AI?
It’s a mixture of things. People are frightened about their privacy, they’re concerned AI might make human skills less useful, and so they’re undecided if these tools have been tested enough.
Google’s ad controversy is a microcosm of this trend. Generative AI is difficult to withstand, but that doesn’t mean society is prepared to just accept it in all forms.
AI’s substitute of emotional, creative endeavors is precisely the type of thing that makes people wonder if we’re letting AI step too far into our personal lives.
The tricky part is that AI is developing at breakneck speed. Companies like Google try to indicate off what their tech can do, but they’re running into these very human concerns about what role AI should play in our lives.
Marketing AI products while constructing public trust is a reasonably unique challenge that firms have yet to crack.
