Google's Super Bowl Fumble

TLDR: Google's Super Bowl ad showcases an AI interview coach, telling a touching personal story. While emotionally engaging, it misses the mark on real job-seeking challenges. The ad focuses on improving interview skills, but overlooks more pressing issues like skill development and securing interviews in the first place.

Google's latest Super Bowl ad has made its debut, but the timing feels somewhat anticlimactic. The once-anticipated reveal of Super Bowl commercials has lost some of its magic, with many ads now premiering online before the big game. Nevertheless, Google's ads stands out as a compelling piece of storytelling.

The ad excels in narrative craftsmanship, drawing viewers into what feels like a short film. If you were to strip away the product placement, you'd be left with a touching and relatable human story. However, the message Google aims to convey – that their AI can help job seekers ace interviews – may miss the mark for many in today's job market.

From conversations with students and job seekers, it's clear that poor interview skills are rarely the primary obstacle. The real challenges are twofold: First, many struggle to develop the skills necessary for success in an era where AI and creative problem-solving are increasingly vital. Second, breaking through to secure interviews in the first place is often the biggest hurdle.

This reality has led to a cat-and-mouse game between applicants and employers. Job seekers flood the market with resumes, while companies implement measures to detect AI-generated applications. Even Anthropic, the creators of AI assistant Claude, have expressed disapproval of candidates using AI in their application process.

Google could have told a more impactful story by focusing on these real-world challenges. Imagine the ad showcasing how their technology helps the dad polish his resume or utilizes AI to match job seekers with suitable opportunities.

Such an approach would resonate more deeply with viewers, addressing tangible problems rather than simply narrating a life story during an interview.

While Google's ad is undoubtedly well-crafted, it may have missed an opportunity to connect with its audience on a more practical level. In today's competitive job market, job seekers need more than interview coaching – they need tools to navigate the complex landscape of modern hiring practices.

TL;DR: Video game voice actors continue to strike over AI protections, which may force studios to adopt AI voice actors quicker.

The recent Destiny 2 update, "Heresy," has brought an unexpected silence to the game's universe. Several characters are notably mute, a consequence of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that began in July 2023. This silence echoes a larger, more complex issue facing the video game industry: the precarious position of voice actors in an era of rapidly advancing AI technology.

Voice actors find themselves in a challenging predicament. As they continue to strike for better working conditions and protections against AI exploitation, they inadvertently create a vacuum that AI could potentially fill. The longer the strike persists, the more likely it becomes that studios, pressed by production deadlines and financial constraints, may turn to AI solutions out of necessity.

Enter Eleven Labs, a company at the forefront of AI voice technology. With a recent $100m+ funding round, Eleven Labs is not just a player in this space; it's rapidly becoming a dominant force. Their suite of tools includes the ability to vocalize text and create digital voices from small samples - even allowing users to clone their own voices. This technology opens up a world where game developers could potentially record their own voices and then manipulate them to fit their characters, effectively bypassing professional voice actors and editors altogether.

The irony is palpable. The very protections that voice actors are fighting for could accelerate the adoption of the technology they fear. Unlike screen actors, who often have recognizable faces tied to their performances, voice actors in video games are known primarily for their voices. This anonymity, once a quirk of the industry, now becomes a vulnerability. It's conceivable that studios could create AI-generated voices that sound similar to beloved characters, adapting and reusing them across different games without the need for human actors.

This situation puts voice actors in a significantly weaker position compared to their SAG counterparts who went on strike in 2023. The faceless nature of their work makes them more replaceable in the eyes of both studios and, potentially, gamers who may not notice the difference between a human and a well-crafted AI performance.

As negotiations continue between SAG-AFTRA and game companies, the clock is ticking. Every silent character in games like Destiny 2 serves as a reminder of the ongoing dispute, but also as a potential proof of concept for games that could function without traditional voice acting.

The path forward is unclear. Will the strike lead to better protections and a secure future for voice actors in gaming? Or will it inadvertently accelerate the adoption of AI voice technology, fundamentally changing the landscape of game development? As the industry watches and waits, one thing is certain: the voices of video game characters have never been more significant in their silence.