Olympic excitement

Google AI ad causes a storm of indignation

The ad "Love Sydney", which was broadcast by Google during the Olympic Games in Paris, was about the US company's Gemini AI program.

(Bild: dpa/Ole Spata)

A girl writes a fan letter to her sports idol - using artificial intelligence: Google has caused a storm of indignation on the Internet with an advertisement for the Olympic Games.

"Who wants a fan letter written by AI?" asked author Linda Holmes, among others.

"Love Sydney"
The "Love Sydney" ad placed by Google during the broadcasts of the Olympic Games in Paris was about the US company's Gemini AI program. It shows a little girl running. Her father says that his daughter is the biggest fan of US hurdler Sydney Michelle McLaughlin-Levrone - and that Gemini helped his daughter with a fan letter to her idol.

In response, many internet users criticized that this intoned that parents should teach their children to rely on AI instead of expressing themselves. "This is one of the most disturbing commercials I've ever seen," wrote media professor Shelly Palmer from Syracuse University in the US state of New York in a blog. "This is exactly what no one should do with AI. Ever."

"The father in the video is not encouraging his daughter to learn how to express herself," criticizes Palmer. "Instead of guiding her to use her own words and communicate authentically, he is teaching her to rely on AI for this essential human skill." Google did not initially comment on the criticism when asked.