Gemini AI Olympics Ad Receives Backlash Online, Google Reportedly Takes It Down

Gemini AI ad that was recently aired in the US for the Paris Olympics 2024 has reportedly been taken down after receiving backlash online. Google is said to have issued a statement highlighting that it took public feedback to remove the ad from airing during the Olympics event, but also proceeded to defend the idea behind it. The ad was notably criticised for downplaying human emotions and replacing it with AI. Notably, the tech giant is also the official “Search AI Partner” of Team USA during the sporting event.

Gemini AI Ad Receives Flak Online

The 60-second video begins with a father's monologue about her daughter being a big fan of the US track athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and wanting to write a letter to the Olympian expressing how she is inspired by the athlete and wants to break her record one day. At the end, the monologue is revealed to be a Gemini AI prompt. The ad ends as the chatbot seemingly generates a fan letter, including all the details from the prompt.

After the ad was aired on July 26, it immediately drew the criticism of netizens on various social media platforms. Many questioned the point of sending a letter which was not written by themselves. Others criticised the tone-deaf nature of the ad which undermines “human connections”.

Noting the negative reception of the ad, Google reportedly took the ad down. It also issued a statement to Variety and said, “While the ad tested well before airing, given the feedback, we have decided to phase the ad out of our Olympics rotation.”

However, the tech giant also defended the idea behind the ad, which was reportedly created by the company's in-house creative team. “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,” Google told the publication.