Google's Gemini Ad Failure. Wasn't it Obvious?

Google's Gemini Ad Failure. Wasn't it Obvious?

Google’s ambitious plan to showcase its Gemini AI assistant at the 2024 Paris Olympics hit a snag following a significant backlash against its “Dear Sydney” commercial. The ad, intended to highlight the inspirational connection between Olympic medalist Sydney McLaughlin and a young fan, instead sparked controversy over its portrayal of AI’s role in personal human interactions. So, Google had to pull the ad.

Context

The commercial features a father narrating his daughter’s admiration for McLaughlin and her aspirations in track and field. The controversy centers around the father using the Gemini AI to help compose a letter to McLaughlin, which many viewers found to undermine the value of personal effort and the authenticity of a child’s voice in such a heartfelt communication. Critics argued that the ad suggested the task of writing a personal letter was a chore better outsourced to an AI, rather than a meaningful activity between parent and child.

The backlash was swift and fierce, with viewers and critics expressing concerns that the ad promoted a future where AI replaces genuine human interactions and creativity. “This ad makes me want to throw a sledgehammer into the television every time I see it,” wrote The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri. In response to the growing criticism, Google initially disabled comments on the YouTube posting of the ad and later decided to pull the commercial from the ongoing Olympic broadcasts. “While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we have decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation,” Google said in a statement.

The incident with the “Dear Sydney” ad is not an isolated one. Similar controversies have arisen with other tech giants, indicating a challenging road ahead for marketing AI technologies.

Why the Ad?

Google’s decision to create and air the “Dear Sydney” ad was likely driven by a desire to humanize its AI technology and make it more relatable to everyday users. The intention behind using a heartfelt narrative tied to the universally relatable context of the Olympics was probably aimed at lowering public apprehensions about AI. By showcasing Gemini AI in a familiar, emotionally engaging scenario, Google likely hoped to illustrate the technology’s potential to assist in everyday tasks, thereby reducing fear and building a bridge of trust with users.

Connecting the ad to the Olympics is also a tactical move to capitalize on the event’s global viewership, which could be perceived as insincere or opportunistic. This strategy, while potentially offering massive exposure, also risks a significant portion of the marketing budget, especially if the message does not resonate as intended with the audience.

The backlash suggests that the execution did not align well with public sentiment, highlighting the delicate balance tech companies must maintain when trying to put a human face on new technologies. This misstep demonstrates the challenges Google faces in its ongoing efforts to match the emotional connectivity with its audience.

Was the failure of Google’s ad predictable?

The essence of what makes us human - our capacity for original ideas and emotional depth - is something we don’t want to give away. AI excels in tasks that involve structure, grammar, and analysis, but it falls short in areas requiring genuine emotional engagement and the generation of novel, impactful ideas.

The initial part of the advertisement did showcase AI’s strengths effectively. Tasks like gathering general knowledge about track and field events or structuring a training plan are well within AI’s wheelhouse. These are logical, goal-oriented tasks where AI can provide substantial assistance.

However, the ad faltered when it ventured into the emotional territory. The request, “Help my daughter write a letter telling Sydney how inspiring she is,” was where the narrative began to crumble. This directive didn’t include emotions; it was a hollow, generic prompt that failed to capture the personal admiration and specific memories that might have made the message heartfelt and genuine.

A more accurate portrayal of AI’s capabilities would involve the technology prompting the girl to describe her feelings, ask questions about specific moments in the athlete’s career that stood out, and help articulate why those moments were inspiring. This approach would demonstrate AI as a facilitative tool that aids in expressing human emotions, rather than trying to emulate them.

Ironic Outcome

The ad inadvertently highlighted a common fear about AI: the potential for dehumanization and the relinquishment of our most human attributes to technology. Instead of alleviating concerns about AI, the ad reinforced them by showing a scenario where emotional tasks were outsourced to AI, suggesting a troubling level of dependency.

This portrayal could be seen as a subliminal message about the overpowering influence of AI, making the ad’s failure to reduce fear a poignant example of the challenges AI faces to find its place in our lives.

Key Learnings

Google’s “Dear Sydney” ad serves as a cautionary tale, it starkly illustrates a misuse of AI. Google just choose a very bad use case to invest millions of advertising budget.

It violates several core principles we highlight in our AI trainings:

1. it does not empower the user, but tries to replace,
2. if does not provide enough context (emotion, connection, inspiration),
3. it does not rely on AI’s key strengths,

This example underscores the importance of using AI to enhance, not replace, the human experience.

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