Google faced backlash for its "Dear Sydney" ad during the Olympics and decided to pull it. The 60-second ad featured a father using Google's Gemini AI to write a fan letter to US track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on behalf of his daughter.
The ad was criticized for undermining the personal touch of fan letters, which are meant to create a heartfelt, human connection. Critics, including Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri, argued that the ad encouraged taking shortcuts instead of fostering self-expression.
Google responded by stating that the ad was intended to show how Gemini could help with initial drafts and idea generation, not replace human effort. This incident is reminiscent of Apple's controversial "Crush" ad, which also faced criticism for its portrayal of AI replacing creative work.
The core issue is that tech companies often misjudge the public's desire for authentic human connections, especially in personal communications like fan letters. The ad's failure lay in not recognizing that the value of such letters comes from the effort and genuine emotion behind them, not from polished, AI-generated text.
