Cheese fans find holes in Google's AI-driven Super Bowl ad

Google has found itself in a sticky situation after cheese-lovers spotted an error in its AI-driven Super Bowl ad. Late last month, the company unveiled its ad campaign for this year's Super Bowl, "50 states, 50 stories", highlighting how small businesses across America use AI to get more done. 

Out of the 50 ads, one caught the public's attention for its supposed false statistic regarding global cheese consumption. "Wisconsin cheese mart: Gemini in Google docs" showcased how a local cheese mart uses Google's Gemini tool to write website descriptions. In the original ad, the AI-generated text reportedly claimed that Gouda accounts for 50% to 60% of the world's consumption. 

However, an X user was quick to point out that the statistic was an "AI hallucination", where an AI system produces a false or misleading response. They also claimed that Gemini provided no sources for the number. "Cheddar and mozzarella would like a word," they said. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE was unable to verify the claim as Google has since edited the statistic out of the ad. 

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In response, Google executive Jerry Dischler commented on the X post, stating the ad was not a "hallucination", and instead blamed the websites Gemini had retrieved the information from. 

"Gemini is grounder in the web, and users can always check the results and references. In this case, multiple sites across the web include the 50-60% statistic," he wrote. 

In conversations with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Google spokesperson confirmed the company had edited the ad after speaking to the owner of the cheese mart featured in the video, asking him what he would have done. 

"Following his suggestion to have Gemini rewrite the product description without the statistic, we updated the user interface (UI) to reflect what the business would do," they added. 

This isn't the first time Google has been in hot water over an AI-driven ad. In July last year, the company drew heavy criticism after the release of an Olympics commercial that featured Gemini, according to media intelligence firm Truescope. 

Truescope noted that the ad had drawn criticism from international media. Significant traction was observed in New York Magazine, Brobible, INC.com, CNN amongst others. 

Titled "Dear Sydney", the ad begins with a father talking about how his daughter has always enjoyed running ever since she was a young child. He goes on to say that he thought she was following in his footsteps as he is a runner as well. 

"She might even be the world's number one McLaughlin-Levrone fan," the father says in the video. 

The video then goes into the fact that his daughter is very focused on her technique and refrences Google's Gemini to help teach her how she should be training. The father then says that his daughter would like to show McLaughlin-Levrone some love by writing her a letter.

"I'm pretty good with words but this has to be just right," he says, adding, "So, Gemini, help my daughter write a letter telling McLaughlin-Levrone how inspiring she is and be sure to mention that my daughter plans on breaking her world record one day."

Gemini then churns out a draft of a fan letter to the Olympian saying that the girl wants to be just like her. 

Following the outcry, Google turned off the comments on the YouTube video featuring the ad. 

According to Truescope, netizens’ comments mainly centred on themes such as loss of authenticity and personal touch, impact on creativity and learning and misuse of AI's potential. 

In August, Google clarified that the commercial that was done with the goal to create an authentic story celebrating Team USA and that while AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, it can never replace it.

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