Google’s advert for the Olympics that sparks controversy: “Dear Sydney”

Google’s advert for the Olympic Games has sparked controversy over its use of artificial intelligence.

When it comes to advertising campaigns for the Olympic Games, there are usually common elements: the desire to excel, sacrifice, motivation or admiration. Precisely the latter is the leitmotif of Google’s advert for the Olympic Games, a campaign that has raised much controversy.

Google, the Olympic sponsor of the US team, has launched a campaign in which we see a young athlete idolising the specialist in hurdles and relays Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The controversy comes because the father of this girl asks Gemini, Google’s artificial intelligence, to help him write a letter to the athlete telling her how much he admires her.

Google campaign for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

“Dear Sydney” is the title of Google’s advert for the Paris Olympics. A campaign that was intended to inspire children and encourage them to pursue their dreams has turned out to be one of Google’s worst campaigns in the eyes of consumers.

The piece shows us how a father tells us the story of his little daughter, who, like him, loves to run a lot. As she has grown older, she has chosen other role models to follow in her athletics career, the hurdles and relay specialist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. As a good inspiration, the little girl will follow and admire her in all her training sessions.

The controversy comes when this father asks Gemini, Google’s artificial intelligence, for help to write a letter to the athlete. And many have asked: Couldn’t the girl write this letter? It is a very beautiful effort on the part of the girl to gather the courage to write to the athlete she idolizes and that her father helped her achieve this goal and that the letter reaches Sydney.

An unfortunate campaign that starts from a good premise but ends up going off the rails to tell the benefits of Gemini, Google’s artificial intelligence.

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