Google pulls 'Dear Sydney' Gemini AI ad after online backlash

Apparently using Google Gemini to write a fan letter in the voice of a 
little girl doesn't sit well with people.

Google has pulled its "Dear Sydney" ad after major backlash that 
criticized Google for misjudging how much the public values genuine human 
expression.

The ad features a father using the Google Gemini chatbot to help his 
daughter write a fan letter to Olympic track and field star Sydney 
McLaughlin-Levrone. "I'm pretty good with words," says the father, "but 
this has to be just right." Cue Gemini, and a fan letter written entirely 
by a bot that, being a bot, can't possibly understand concepts like 
admiration, inspiration, or just the experience of being a human child.

"We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, 
but can never replace it," said a Google spokesperson in a statement to 
Mashable. "Our goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA. 
It showcases a real-life track enthusiast and her father, and aims to show 
how the Gemini app can provide a starting point, thought starter, or early 
draft for someone looking for ideas for their writing."

But given the negative reaction online, Google missed the mark. The ad's 
message is offset by a recurrent theme in the generative AI era: companies 
have eagerly adopted generative AI in the hopes of attracting users. But 
in a classic case of a tech solution in search of a problem, they've 
sometimes repulsed consumers, and have struggled to find applications that 
prove genuinely useful. Earlier this week Meta scrapped its celebrity AI 
personas, while Taco Bell has expanded its AI voice automated ordering 
system despite McDonald's failings with a similar experience.

Even if Gemini nailed the tone and successfully mimicked the tone and age-
appropriate literacy of the little girl, people online were horrified by 
the premise of using AI to write a fan letter. "It is one of the most 
disturbing commercials I’ve ever seen," posted Shelly Palmer, professor of 
advanced media at Syracuse University Newhouse School. "This is exactly 
what we do not want anyone to do with AI. Ever."

https://mashable.com/article/google-pulls-dear-sydney-gemini-ai-ad-after-
online-backlas