Regardless of politics, most humans simply assume that machines can effectively replace them.
On social media over the weekend, viewers of the already repellent Olympics channeled their inner Luddite in a visceral reaction to the Google Gemini AI feature commercial — a commercial that one user on social media platform X described as “soul-crushing.”
Indeed, Google’s Olympic ad draws attention to what it means to be human.
Ironically, the minute-long commercial begins in one of the most charming ways imaginable. The voice of a proud father is accompanied by pictures and videos of a young girl enjoying a run.
In addition, in the naughty way that children do, the young girl worships the American Olympic hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
“She’s probably the number one Sydney fan in the world,” her father said of his daughter.
Then, in a preview of the dark turn to come, the ad shows Gemini AI helping the young girl find the right running technique and obstacles.
Of course, that part didn’t bother the audience. But what comes next always does.
“He wants to show Sydney some love, and I’m pretty good with words, but this should be just right,” the father said.
The next sequence shows the father asking the Gemini AI to help his daughter write a fan letter to McLaughlin-Levrone.
Yawis.
Adverse reactions came quickly, even from liberal sources commonly associated with anti-humanist ideology.
For example, on the social media platform Bluesky, NPR podcast host Linda Holmes ran a Google ad.
“This commercial shows a man with a child using AI to write a fan letter to his hero SUCKS. Obviously there are special situations and people who need help, but as a general “seems cool, they don’t even have to write anything!” story, it SUCKS .Who wants a fan letter written by AI??” Holmes wrote.
This commercial shows a man with a child using AI to write a fan letter to his hero SUCKS. Obviously there are special situations and people who need help, but as a general “it looks cool, they don’t even have to write anything!” the story is SUCK. Who wants an AI written fan letter??
— Linda Holmes (@lindaholmes.bsky.social) Jul 27, 2024 at 8:48 AM
At X, Professor Shelly Palmer of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications called it “one of the most disturbing ads I’ve ever seen.”
In fact, Palmer added that the commercial represents “exactly what no one wants to do with AI. ever.”
Did you see Google’s “Dear Sydney” Olympics ad featuring a dad using Gemini AI to help his young daughter write a fan letter to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone? This is one of the most annoying ads I’ve ever seen. To be clear, I like the idea of a young athlete who wants to… pic.twitter.com/FFohdVBbut
– Shelly Palmer (@shellypalmer) July 29, 2024
Meanwhile, freelance writer Kaitlyn Arford described Google’s ads as the worst thing about gaming so far.
“I think we can all agree that the big loser from the #Olympics was the Google Gemini AI ad where they thought an AI-written letter was better than a sweet note from a young girl to her favorite athlete,” Arford posted.
I think we can all agree that it is a big loss #Olympics is the Google Gemini AI ad where they think AI-written letters are better than a sweet note from a young girl to her favorite athlete.
— Kaitlyn Arford — Freelance Writer (@kaitarford) July 28, 2024
In ranking the worst of the Olympics, Arford may have overlooked the blasphemous opening ceremony. Otherwise, one cannot argue with his argument.
Another social media user called the ad “one of the worst use cases for AI I can imagine.”
“A way to teach your child not to have original thoughts or original interactions with other human beings,” the user added.
The Google Gemini letter writing commercial is one of the worst use cases for AI I can imagine.
The way to teach your child is not to have original thoughts or original interactions with other human beings.
— Sidney Pegula (@sidneypegula) July 28, 2024
Finally, another social media user compared the “soul-crushing” ad to the new Apple iPad ad “where the message is supposed to be a sign of progress but kills that special ‘human’ moment all at once.”
At @Google The Gemini commercial where the father asks the Gemini to draft a letter to Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for his daughter is not as charming as intended IMO.
Instead of some great commercial showing a journey where a father helps his daughter find her voice in… pic.twitter.com/BvRXxlS43y
– Michael R. (@ImpactForward) July 29, 2024
The Apple ad in question shows musical instruments, video games, books and even ancient busts being crushed by a giant press and then disappearing amidst the paint. Then, the press is lifted to reveal the sleek new iPad.
The intended message, of course, is that Apple products combine all other tangible things into one device. It’s like a Google ad, but it just misses.
According to business-and-technology news outlet TechCrunch, Apple’s ad provoked a similar reaction. And for the same reason.
“What Apple has forgotten are the things in the real world — the things that Apple destroys — that provide fake versions of those things,” wrote Devin Coldewey for TechCrunch.
Indeed, people rarely think that the real thing is unimportant.
They also don’t respond to messages that even hint at outdated human experience. Let this be a lesson to the technocratic, globalist tyrants at Google and elsewhere.
This article first appeared in The Western Journal.
