Frustrating Google Ad Envisions Founding Fathers Welcoming AI

“Group project, but make it 1776.” That’s the opening line of a new ad for Google Workspace, and it only gets more cringeworthy from there. The video envisions the founding fathers using Google’s collaboration tools and Gemini to draft the Declaration of Independence.

Ben Franklin sends a text to Thomas Jefferson to check on the draft’s progress, who snaps a photo and uses AI to transcribe it into a Google Doc. Franklin and Adams jump in to make edits in suggestion mode, while Gemini helps schedule a meeting, takes notes during a Google Meet, and then Nano Banana creates a seal for the United States featuring a turkey—arguably a more fitting choice than an eagle.

Just before the fireworks, the founding fathers consult Gemini on whether to grant King George III edit access to the Declaration of Independence. This scenario might make Americans across the political spectrum want to toss their phones out the window. (One can only imagine how Gemini would respond if the founding fathers had inquired about women’s voting rights, slavery, or Manifest Destiny.)

Overall, the whole concept feels misguided, cheesy, and frankly absurd. As a history professor pointed out, “Even in a corny fantasy joke, it’s impossible to make the case that AI is a useful tool for political organizing, writing, or human collaboration.”