Apparently, using Google Gemini to write a fan letter in a little girl’s voice isn’t exactly comfortable.
Google pulled its “Dear Sydney” ad after criticism that it misjudged how much people valued real human expression.
In the ad, a father uses the Google Gemini chatbot to help his daughter write a fan letter for Olympic track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. “I’m good with words,” Dad said, “but this one has to be just right.” Cue Gemini, and a fan letter written entirely by a robot that, as a robot, can’t possibly understand concepts like admiration, inspiration, or just The experience of being a human child.
“We believe artificial intelligence can be an important tool to augment human creativity, but can never replace it,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to Mashable. “Our goal was to create an authentic story that celebrates Team America. It showcases The real-life track and field enthusiast and her father, aim to show how the Gemini app can provide anyone looking for an idea starting point, a thought starter or an early draft for their writing.
New iPad ads essentially disrupt AI-weary creative birds
But given the negative reaction online, Google fell short of its goal. The ad’s message is offset by a recurring theme in the age of generative AI: companies eager to adopt generative AI in hopes of attracting users. But in the classic case of finding tech solutions to problems, they sometimes exclude consumers, making it difficult to find apps that prove to be truly useful. Earlier this week, Meta scrapped its celebrity AI persona, while Taco Bell expanded its AI voice-automated ordering system, despite McDonald’s having a similar experience.
Mix and match speed of light
Even though Gemini managed to imitate a little girl’s tone of voice and age-appropriate literacy skills, people online were shocked by the premise of using artificial intelligence to write a fan letter. “This is one of the most disturbing ads I’ve ever seen,” said Shirley Palmer, senior media professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. “That’s exactly what we don’t want anyone to do with artificial intelligence. Ever.”
Tweet may have been deleted
X User @chikkadee posted: “I can’t think of a less inspiring ad. What’s the point of sending that letter.”
Tweet may have been deleted
“Re: Google’s ‘Dear Sydney’ artificial intelligence ad – like Apple’s Crush, the question we need to ask ourselves is not ‘What can artificial intelligence/texhn do for us?'” another user @Aerocles wrote, Refers to a similar tone-deafness. “But ‘What role do we want it to play in our lives?’ Just because of artificial intelligence able Doing something doesn’t mean we want to do it.
Tweet may have been deleted
Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petry was so outraged that she wrote an entire column about it, saying: “This ad makes me want to throw a sledgehammer into it every time I see it. On TV.
It’s difficult to summarize all the ways in which the public thinks Google Ads falls short. Whether it’s being criticized for suggesting that automated text is more valuable than children’s expressions, preventing children from writing on their own, or simply showing parents that this is a good use for generative AI, there are many problems. but Los Angeles TimesRyan Faughnder summed up the overall sentiment nicely in an article on X: “Selling apocalyptic AI technology is proving to be really hard.”
Tweet may have been deleted
theme
artificial intelligence google
