Google yanks Olympics ad about AI-drafted fan letter

Google has decided to pull its Gemini Olympics ad featuring a dad asking the chatbot to help his daughter write a fan letter to her idol, gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

The big picture: The “Dear Sydney” ad ruffled the feathers of online critics who believe that using generative AI to help a child write a fan letter sucks the life out of a time-honored tradition of fandom and also constitutes lazy parenting.

Ad Age reports that Google has removed the ad from its TV rotation, but you can still view it on YouTube.

• “While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we have decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation,” a Google spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
• Earlier this week, Google defended the ad, telling Axios, “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.”

Between the lines: Apple and Bumble have both recently apologized for marketing missteps.

• Although Google hasn’t apologized for the ad, it did say sorry earlier this year for Gemini after its AI generated images of Black founding fathers, a female pope, and gay couples when prompted to create images of straight couples.

• Toys R Us, Netflix and HBO have also come under fire for using AI in the creative process, sometimes without disclosing its use.

Yes, but: Many users find chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT helpful to get started on all sorts of writing projects, especially if they’re struggling with a blank page.

What we’re watching: As genAI becomes even more ubiquitous, we need to come up with standards around its acceptable use in creative personal and work-related projects.