Google has withdrawn its Olympics advert for chatbot Gemini AI following backlash over its portrayal of a girl using AI to write a fan letter.
The 60-second advert, titled “Dear Sydney,” showed a young girl’s father asking Gemini AI to help compose a letter on behalf of his daughter to her favourite athlete, U.S. hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Despite its initial positive reception, the advert faced increasing criticism for suggesting the use of artificial intelligence over genuine personal effort, particularly involving children. The ad, which features the AI-generated draft and concludes with the girl running on a track, was available on YouTube but has been pulled from television after heavy rotation during the first week of the Games.
A Google spokesperson reiterated, “We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it. Our goal was to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA.”
The backlash highlights wider concerns over AI replacing human creativity. Google is not alone in facing such criticism. Apple recently withdrew an advert featuring a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments and paint cans to unveil its new iPad Pro, following public outcry. Similarly, OpenAI’s technology chief, Mira Murati, acknowledged that while AI could replace some creative jobs, some of these roles arguably should not have existed.
The controversy has also reached Hollywood, where actors and unions protested after Scarlett Johansson claimed that OpenAI had used her voice without permission for a new ChatGPT AI voice named “Sky.”
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services Limited - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
