New Google commercial imagines a Declaration of Independence written with help from AI

A new Google commercial, released on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, imagines what it would have been like if the Founding Fathers had access to Google Workspace. The ad, with the tagline "Group project, but make it 1776," depicts Thomas Jefferson drafting the document when he receives a text from Ben Franklin, leading to a collaboration process using Google Docs, Calendar, Meet, and e-signatures. The fictionalized founders also use Google's AI tools, including the "help me visualize" tool for the national seal, Gemini for meeting notes, and the chatbot for advice on declining King George III's document access request. The commercial is described as tongue-in-cheek, with moments like Sam Adams asking, "Can we settle this over beers?" The AI evangelism is relatively discreet compared to other recent ads, and the ad shies away from suggesting the actual text of the Declaration would be improved with AI. While viewer comments on YouTube and Instagram appear mostly positive, the response on Bluesky has been far more critical, with posters calling the ad "cringey" and "tone deaf." Historian Angus Johnston noted that it's "amazing how little of this is actually AI," arguing that even in a fantasy joke, it's impossible to make the case that AI is a useful tool for political organizing, writing, or human collaboration.