Following intense criticism in recent days, Google has decided to remove an ad promoting its artificial intelligence tool Gemini from NBCUniversal's coverage of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Google + Team USA — Dear Sydney
The spot, titled "Dear Sydney" (watch it above), features a young girl being taught by her father to use Gemini to write a fan letter to her idol, American track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. "She wants to show Sydney some love, and I'm pretty good with words, but this has to be just right," the girl's father says in a voiceover.
The idea of AI being recommended to their child by parents, rather than performing the main task themselves, was met with resistance from many viewers, especially as the message was pitted against the inspiring, family-oriented atmosphere of the Olympics.
“While the ad was tested well in advance of its broadcast, given the feedback, we have decided to gradually phase it out of our Olympic rotation,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline.
