Google withdraws Olympics AI ad amid backlash

Ad aired widely during NBCU's Olympic coverage, including primetime on NBC and USA, with last broadcast at midnight on July 30.

Google has removed an ad from its Olympics TV lineup following considerable backlash, as confirmed to Ad Age. However, the ad is still available on YouTube, albeit with comments disabled.

Olympics AI ad "Dear Sydney" which was developed in-house, aimed to promote Google’s Gemini AI platform, but viewers struggled to overlook its flawed narrative. In the commercial, a father seeks to assist his daughter in writing a letter to her idol, Olympic track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Instead of supporting her in this personal endeavor, he opts to have Gemini write the letter on her behalf.

Viewers and advertising professionals criticised the ad on social media for being tone-deaf. Some expressed frustration over Google's apparent indifference to an AI taking over a significant childhood experience, while others hinted at a deeper concern that AI could ultimately replace meaningful human work.

A Google spokesperson told Ad Age today, "While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we've decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation."

The company earlier this week defended the ad in a statement: “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. 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.”

The ad received extensive airtime during NBCU’s Olympic TV coverage this week, airing on NBC during primetime, as well as on E!, CNBC, and USA, according to iSpot.tv. Its most recent national TV broadcast occurred around midnight on July 30 on USA, as reported by iSpot.tv.