New Google ad imagines Founding Fathers using AI to write Declaration of Independence

On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Google has released a commercial that reimagines the event with modern technology. The ad shows Thomas Jefferson receiving a text from Ben Franklin, leading to a collaboration process using Google Docs for edits, Google Calendar for scheduling, and Google Meet for a remote meeting (with all attendees turning off their cameras). The document is finally signed with e-signatures.

AI features prominently in the ad. The founders use Google's "help me visualize" tool to test different animals for the national seal, Gemini takes meeting notes, and a chatbot offers advice before declining King George III's document access request. The tone is tongue-in-cheek; at one point, Sam Adams asks, "Can we settle this over beers?"

Compared to other recent Google ads, the AI evangelism is relatively discreet. The ad avoids suggesting that AI would improve the actual text of the Declaration, unlike a previous controversial ad where a father used Gemini to write a fan letter. Some viewers noted that the footage itself appears AI-generated.

Reactions on social media are divided. Comments on YouTube and Instagram are mostly positive, but on Bluesky, users called the ad "cringey" and "stunningly tone deaf." Historian Angus Johnston observed that "it's amazing how little of this is actually AI" and added, "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."