Google has released a new commercial with the tagline "Group project, but make it 1776," depicting an unseen Thomas Jefferson mid-draft of the Declaration of Independence when he receives a text from Ben Franklin, kicking off a Google-centric collaboration. The ad shows edits suggested in Google Docs, a meeting scheduled in Google Calendar and conducted remotely via Google Meet (with all attendees keeping cameras off), and the document finalized with e-signatures.
AI plays a role throughout: the fictionalized founders use Google's "help me visualize" AI tool to try different animals on the national seal, Gemini takes notes during the meeting, and the founders ask the chatbot for advice before declining King George III's document access request. The spot, which aired in the year 2026, also features footage that appears to have the look of AI-generated video.
Reception has been mixed. Comments on YouTube and Instagram appear mostly positive, while Bluesky users called the commercial "cringey" and "stunningly tone deaf," with the AI element drawing the most criticism. Historian Angus Johnston, quoted in the piece, said "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," while also noting how little of the ad is actually AI.