If you've been glued to the Olympics, you've likely encountered Google's advertisement, "Dear Sydney." The ad depicts a father, supposedly "pretty good with words," struggling to pen a fan letter to Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from his daughter. To the rescue comes Gemini, Google's AI model, who is instructed to write a heartfelt message that mentions his daughter's future record-breaking aspirations.
The ad's premise is immediately jarring. Why does this father, who claims to be skilled with words, require AI assistance to express his daughter's admiration for her sporting idol? Doesn't parenthood encompass nurturing such heartfelt moments?
The commercial's reliance on AI for such an intimate task raises concerns about the message it conveys to children. It suggests that outsourcing writing assignments to AI is acceptable and that expressing emotions through technology is preferable. This notion is particularly unsettling given the ad's playful inclusion of the "Sorry, not sorry" phrase, suggesting that the daughter is perfectly capable of expressing her feelings independently.
Furthermore, the ad's central premise clashes with the Olympics' spirit of celebrating human achievement. The Olympics are a testament to hard work, dedication, and individual effort â qualities that AI cannot replicate.
The commercial has sparked significant backlash. Many viewers found the ad's uncanny tone and message to be unsettling, even dystopian. Several commentators pointed out the ad's similarities to a widely criticised Apple iPad commercial that was also criticised for its tone-deafness.
The backlash was so strong that Google disabled comments on the ad's YouTube channel. While the company may be attempting to downplay the negative reception, silencing dissent on a platform they own only amplifies the concerns around the ad's messaging.
This incident highlights a growing unease surrounding the increasing role of AI in our lives. While AI can undoubtedly be a powerful tool, there is a growing concern about its potential to erode human connection and authenticity. Google's "Dear Sydney" ad serves as a stark reminder that, when it comes to expressing genuine human emotion, sometimes the best approach is to simply put pen to paper and let our hearts speak for themselves.