The first time I saw Google’s latest commercial,I thought,”Is it just me,or is this kind of bad?”By the fourth or fifth viewing,my initial curiosity had faded into certainty.

　　The commercial begins innocuously enough,featuring a father talking about his daughter’s admiration for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone,whom she might be”the world’s number one fan”of.The daughter wants to write a fan letter to the Olympic gold medalist and seeks her dad’s help—and this is where things take a peculiar turn.

　　This ad is for Google’s Gemini AI.The dad prompts Gemini:“Help my daughter write a letter telling Sydney how inspiring she is and be sure to mention that my daughter plans on breaking her world record one day.(She says sorry,not sorry.)”

　　While the concept fits into the overall pitch for generative AI—as a writing coach or assistant,especially for those who find writing intimidating—the execution feels off.Writing a letter to a favorite athlete can indeed be daunting,but instructing an AI to generate an inspiring message lacks authenticity.If this scenario played out in real life,Sydney would end up with a stack of nearly identical,AI-generated letters.

　　Novelist and Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast host Linda Holmes expressed this sentiment more emphatically,writing,“Obviously there are special circumstances and people who need help,but as a general‘look how cool,she didn’t even have to write anything herself!’story,it SUCKS.Who wants an AI-written fan letter??”Holmes also pointed out that writing a fan letter is a valuable learning experience for a child.If kids are encouraged to rely on AI for writing because their skills aren’t fully developed,how are they supposed to improve?

　　I agree.While I may never be an Olympic athlete,believe it or not,tech bloggers occasionally receive complimentary messages.I’d much prefer a brief,heartfelt,human-authored email saying“YOU’RE GREAT!!”over a detailed,form-like letter written by AI.

　　This commercial doesn’t quite reach the absurdity of Apple’s infamous ad where humanity’s achievements are condensed into an iPad,but it does highlight the challenges in marketing AI as a practical tool for everyday people.