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On Mon, 5 Aug, 4:01 PM UTC
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AI in Olympics ad sparks creative debate; Google hits the delete button
Google has withdrawn its latest Olympics advertisement featuring its Gemini chatbot after widespread criticism of its portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative process of a child. The advertisement, titled 'Dear Sydney' depicted a father using the Gemini AI chatbot to assist his daughter in writing a fan letter to her idol, US hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The commercial, which aired repeatedly during the first week of the Olympic Games, sparked controversy as viewers questioned why a child's creative expression was being outsourced to AI.
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Google Gemini ad controversy: Where should we draw the line between AI and human involvement in content creation?
Toronto Metropolitan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR. After widespread backlash, Google pulled its "Dear Sydney" Gemini ad from Olympics coverage. The ad featured its generative AI chatbot tool, Gemini, formerly known as Bard. The advertisement featured a father and his daughter, a fan of United States Olympic track and field athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The father, despite considering himself "pretty good with words," uses Gemini to help his daughter to write a fan letter to Sydney, saying that when something needs to be done "just right," Gemini is the better choice. This advertisement sparked widespread backlash online about the growing role of generative AI tools and their impact on human creativity, productivity and communication. As media professor Shelly Palmer wrote in a blog post: "As more and more people rely on AI to generate their content, it is easy to imagine a future where the richness of human language and culture erode." Critics argue that relying on AI for tasks traditionally done by humans will undermine the value of human effort and originality, leading to a future where machine-generated content overshadows human output. The controversy brings up key questions about the preservation of human skills, and the ethical and social implications of integrating generative AI tools into everyday tasks. The question here is where the line should be drawn between AI and human involvement in content creation, and whether such a dividing line is necessary at all. Anthropomorphic AI AI tools are effectively integrated in almost all aspects of our daily activities, from entertainment to financial services. Over the past few years, generative AI has appeared to become more contextually aware and anthropomorphic, meaning its responses and behaviour are more human-like. This has led more people to integrate the technology into their daily activities and workflows. Many people, however, are struggling to strike a balance when it comes to using these tools. On the one hand, given enough human oversight, advanced models of ChatGPT and Gemini can deliver cohesive, relevant responses. In addition, the pressure to use these tools is strong, and some people fear that not using them will set them back professionally. But, on the other hand, AI-generated content lacks a unique, human touch. Even as prompts improve, there remains a generic quality to AI responses. To better understand the implications of AI-generated content on human communication, and the issues that stem from them, it's important to adopt a balanced approach that avoids both uncritical optimism and pessimism. The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion can help us achieve this. The nature of persuasion The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion suggests there are two routes of persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. When individuals process information through the central route, they engage in thoughtful and critical evaluation of information. In contrast, the peripheral route involves a superficial assessment based on external cues, rather than the content's quality or relevance. In the context of AI-generated content, there is a risk that both creators and recipients will increasingly rely on the peripheral route. For creators, using AI tools might reduce the effort invested in crafting messages, knowing that the technology will handle the details. For recipients, the polished nature of AI-generated content might lead to a surface-level engagement without deeper consideration. This superficial engagement could result in the undermining of the quality of communication and the authenticity of human connections. This phenomenon is particularly evident in hiring. Generative AI tools can produce cover letters based on job descriptions and resumes, but they often lack the personal touch and genuine passion that human-crafted letters might convey. As hiring managers receive an increasing number of AI-generated applications, they are finding it difficult to uncover the true capabilities and motivations of candidates, which is resulting in less-informed hiring decisions. Where do we go from here? This leaves us at a crossroad. While arguments can be made for the effective integration of AI with human oversight, there is also a significant concern that the perceived value of messages and our communication is diminishing. It is increasingly apparent that AI tools are here to stay. Our collective line of inquiry needs to shift towards exploring a state of interdependence, where society can maximize the benefits of these tools while maintaining human autonomy and creativity. Achieving this balance is challenging and begins with education that emphasizes foundational human capabilities such as writing, reading and critical thinking. Additionally, there should be a focus on developing subject matter expertise to help individuals to better use these tools and extract maximum value. Clarifying the limits of AI integration is equally important. This may involve avoiding AI usage in personal communication, while accepting its role in organizational public communication, such as industry reports where AI can enhance readability and quality. It is of timely essence to understand that our collective societal decisions will have significant future impacts. This moment calls for fellow researchers to deepen the exploration of the interdependence between humans and AI, allowing technology to be used in ways that complement and enhance human capabilities, rather than replace them.
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Google's AI-generated advertisement for the Olympics faced backlash, leading to its removal and igniting discussions about AI's role in content creation and the importance of transparency in AI-human collaborations.
Google recently found itself at the center of a heated debate after releasing an advertisement for the Olympics that was partially generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The ad, which showcased the company's Gemini AI model, sparked controversy due to its depiction of historical events that were inaccurately rendered by the AI 1. As a result of the backlash, Google made the decision to remove the advertisement and issue an apology.
The incident has reignited discussions about the appropriate use of AI in content creation, particularly in advertising and media. While AI has shown remarkable capabilities in generating images and text, the controversy highlights the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on these technologies without proper human oversight 2.
One of the key issues raised by this incident is the need for transparency in AI-human collaborations. Many critics argued that Google should have been more upfront about the extent of AI involvement in the creation of the advertisement. This lack of transparency led to confusion and disappointment among viewers who may have assumed the content was entirely human-created 2.
The controversy has prompted calls for clearer guidelines and ethical standards in the use of AI for content creation. Experts suggest that companies should establish protocols for disclosing AI involvement in their creative processes, ensuring that consumers are well-informed about the origin of the content they are viewing 1.
This incident has also sparked discussions about the potential impact of AI on the creative industry. While AI tools can enhance efficiency and offer new possibilities, there are concerns about job displacement and the devaluation of human creativity. The debate emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that leverages AI capabilities while preserving the irreplaceable value of human insight and creativity 2.
Despite the controversy, many industry experts believe that AI will continue to play a significant role in advertising and content creation. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between AI assistance and human creativity, ensuring that the end product is both innovative and authentic. As AI technologies evolve, it is likely that we will see more refined approaches to their integration in creative processes 1.
Reference
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Google has removed its AI-focused advertisement "Dear Sydney" from Olympic broadcasts following widespread criticism. The ad, which showcased the capabilities of Google's Gemini AI, sparked controversy due to its portrayal of AI technology and its potential impact on human creativity.
9 Sources
9 Sources
Google's recent advertisement for its Gemini AI, featuring a conversation about the 1936 Berlin Olympics, has ignited a fierce debate about AI-generated content, historical accuracy, and the ethical implications of AI technology.
7 Sources
7 Sources
Google's AI-generated advertisement for the 2024 Olympics, featuring a fictional athlete named Sydney, has ignited a firestorm of criticism and raised ethical questions about the use of AI in advertising and its potential impact on human athletes and creativity.
3 Sources
3 Sources
OpenAI's first-ever Super Bowl commercial for ChatGPT, created entirely by humans, highlights AI's growing influence in mainstream media. The ad, alongside other AI-themed commercials from tech giants, marks a significant moment for artificial intelligence in popular culture.
13 Sources
13 Sources
YouTube's introduction of AI-generated content tools sparks debate on creativity, authenticity, and potential risks. While offering new opportunities for creators, concerns arise about content quality and the platform's ecosystem.
4 Sources
4 Sources