Two hundred and fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a new Google commercial envisions what might have happened if Thomas Jefferson and his crew had access to modern collaboration tools. The ad hints at a seamless group project, complete with real-time edits in Google Docs and virtual meetings in Google Meet.
Of course, AI plays a subtle but significant role, from suggesting animals for the national seal to taking notes. But the most impressive feat is the footage itself, which looks suspiciously like an AI-generated video, complete with an uncanny glow.
The response has been mixed. While YouTube and Instagram have mostly positive comments, Bluesky users have called it cringey and tone-deaf, particularly focusing on how little of the commercial actually involves real AI. Historian Angus Johnston notes that even in a whimsical ad, it’s hard to make a convincing case for AI as a useful tool for political organizing.
Perhaps the greatest irony is that while Google tries to present itself as a partner in history, its vision of an AI-enhanced 1776 might just be more of a dystopian future than a utopia. The ad raises questions about technology’s role in our past and potentially our future.
