Google Ad Faces Backlash For Encouraging Kids To Use AI To Write Fan Letters
The 'Dear Sydney' ad made many parents angry.
By Sukhbir Cheema — 31 Jul 2024, 01:22 PM
Google's latest ad, which encourages kids to take advantage of its artificial intelligence (AI) program to write letters to their sports heroes, is facing a backlash
The ad, titled 'Dear Sydney', aired during the Olympic Games over the weekend.
Designed to promote Google’s Gemini AI capabilities, the ad begins with a proud father warmly sharing how his daughter is a huge fan of US hurdler Sydney Michelle McLaughlin-Levrone.
However, the ad takes an awkward turn when he uses Gemini to help his daughter write a fan letter to Sydney.
Many slammed the ad for encouraging children to rely on AI rather than themselves when it comes to expression
Syracuse University professor of advanced media in residence Shelly Palmer described the ad as "one of the most disturbing commercials I’ve ever seen".
Palmer said the ad was problematic because it promoted the notion that a poorly worded prompt to an AI tool can help people express their feelings better than themselves.
Meanwhile, author Linda Holmes went straight for Google's jugular.
"This commercial showing somebody having a child use AI to write a fan letter to her hero sucks. Who wants an AI-written fan letter?" she wrote on BlueSky.
In response to the backlash, Google has disabled comments for the ad on YouTube.
Google is not the first tech giant to face backlash over its ad. In May, Apple was slammed for its "tone-deaf" iPad Pro ad
The one-minute-eight-second ad, titled 'Crush!', was first released on X by Apple CEO Tim Cook on 8 May. It featured an industrial-sized hydraulic press that crushes several objects representing human creativity. The ad was set to Sonny and Cher's song All I Ever Need Is You.
Google's 'Dear Sydney' ad now faces similar concerns about the possible decline of human creativity as more AI tools are introduced to replace self-expression.
Google has yet to comment on the matter.
