Google has launched bold new ads promoting their AI platform, Gemini, highlighting the tool’s unique ability to mimic humanlike voice and expressions.
Titled “Now we’re Talking”, the ad is a cinematic montage of several Pixel 9 owners attempting to get their hands Google’s platform, displaying the AI platform’s prowess in various scenarios. From a man fixing a car to a woman trying new basketball drills to a man cooking, people ask Gemini Live questions about their activities and receive natural, humanlike responses.
“With Gemini Live on Google Pixel 9, there’s a whole new way to talk with your phone,” Google announced. “Brainstorm ideas, simplify complex topics, or go wherever the conversation takes you. Not sure where to start? Try, hi.”
In yet another light-hearted ad, a woman goes back-and-forth with Gemini AI as she tries to understand the difference between oranges and tangerines.
Both ad commercials leverage star power and feature several famous celebrities, Keke Palmer, A’ja Wilson, and English soccer player Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Aiming to tap into the rising demand for AI tools that emulate human interaction, Google seeks to position Gemini as a cornerstone of modern living, necessary for personal, mundane and professional needs. By enhancing the conversational and humanlike capabilities of its AI tools, Google differentiates Gemini from its various competitors in a bid to emerge at the top of the race.
However, these technologies have also been subject to increasing criticism, both for its ethical ramifications, over-reliance on technology and for blurring the line between genuine and artificial relationships. Google has been criticized for such a thing in the Paris Olympics 2024, where an ad showing a father using Gemini to write a fan letter to his daughter’s athletic hero sparked immense backlash from all sectors.
This debate can also be witnessed in the audience reaction to Google’s Gemini ads.
Some appreciated the enhanced capabilities of Google’s AI tools. “I use Gemini live and It’s amazing because it’s like a friend,” a user wrote. Another added, ” I’ve found it so useful asking all [kinds] of questions – astronomy, history & religion. So conversational.”
However, others have dismissed or criticized the direction that Google is choosing to turn towards. “I have yet to see one conversational AI ad with a useful purpose,” a user wrote.
From a purely advertising perspective, many complimented Google’s creativity, comparing it favorably to its competitors.
“This is actually such a good advertisement,” a user wrote. “Sorry Apple, but that’s how to do an Intelligent Assistant ad,” another added.
