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

Two hundred and fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, a new Google commercial imagines what it would have been like if the Founding Fathers had access to Google Workspace.

Titled “Group project, but make it 1776,” the ad humorously shows Thomas Jefferson in the middle of drafting when he receives an insistent text from Ben Franklin, prompting a Google-centric collaborative effort. Edits are made in Google Docs, a meeting is planned in Google Calendar and conducted via Google Meet (with everyone seemingly opting to keep their cameras off), and the document is concluded with e-signatures, followed by fireworks.

Naturally, being a tech ad from 2026, AI features prominently. The fictional Founding Fathers utilize Google’s “help me visualize” AI tool to experiment with different animals for the national seal. Gemini documents the meeting, and the chatbot is consulted for advice before rejecting King George III’s request to access the document.

The advertisement is lighthearted (at one point, Sam Adams quips, “Can we settle this over beers?”), and it presents AI in a relatively understated manner compared to other recent ads. Unlike a previous Google ad where a father used Gemini to compose a fan letter for his daughter, this commercial avoids implying that AI could enhance the Declaration of Independence’s text. The most AI-driven aspect appears to be the video itself, which has an unmistakable AI-generated look.

Viewer feedback on YouTube and Instagram is largely positive, but reactions on Bluesky are more critical. Some commenters described the ad as “cringey” and “stunningly tone deaf,” with the AI component drawing the most criticism. Historian Angus Johnston observed that it’s “amazing how little of this is actually AI.”

Johnston remarked, “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.”