Google puts AI to work in Australia, focusing on health over hype

Google has launched its first locally focused brand campaign on artificial intelligence, positioning the technology as a force for good while spotlighting its $1 billion Digital Future Initiative to support Australian research in healthcare and environmental conservation.

The campaign, developed with R/GA, marks one of the first major Australian executions of Google’s global creative platform More’s Possible. While R/GA works with Google globally, this project is distinct to the Australian market and aims to show how AI can have direct local impact.

Two films lead the campaign. In The Sidelines, doctors in regional communities use AI-powered retinopathy screening to detect diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of blindness, at its earliest stages. In The Dining Table, researchers partner with Cochlear, Macquarie University and NextSense to address the “cocktail party problem” - the challenge hearing aid users face distinguishing voices in noisy environments.

Both stories position AI not as the protagonist, but as a quiet collaborator to researchers and healthcare professionals.

“Whether it’s improving the effectiveness of hearing aids or helping prevent diabetic vision loss, this campaign demonstrates that more’s possible when medical researchers join forces with Google AI,” Suzana Ristevski, CMO of Google Australia and New Zealand, said. “Thanks to local partners, this groundbreaking work is taking place in Australia right now.”

Rachel Blacklaws, creative director at R/GA Australia, described the work as “stories of possibility made tangible. They show what happens when emerging technology meets the passion and vision of researchers and medical professionals.”

The More’s Possible platform is designed to move AI storytelling beyond abstract hype by focusing on human outcomes. Director Sanjay De Silva’s cinematic style emphasises lived experience, with casting choices that bring authenticity to the films.

Google’s own AI also played a role in the production process, generating photorealistic environments used in post-production. Its generative tools Whisk and Gemini were used to create background plates for key scenes, replacing on-location shoots with photorealistic environments. The integration was intentionally invisible, reinforcing the message that technology works best when it’s in the background, making things better.

To ground the work, actors with lived experience of diabetes and hearing loss were cast, bringing a deeper level of realism and resonance to the final films.

The Digital Future Initiative provides the broader context, with projects spanning biodiversity conservation and healthcare innovation. Beyond diabetic eye disease and hearing technology, Google is working with local partners to analyse the calls of endangered Glossy Black Cockatoos and monitor Tasmania’s giant kelp forests.

The national rollout spans TV, BVOD, YouTube, digital audio, OOH and print, alongside a tie-in with The Voice to extend the reach of the hearing message.

With Microsoft doubling down on enterprise productivity and Meta emphasising creative expression, Google’s Australian play leans into medical research and conservation - areas with clear social benefit and fewer cultural flashpoints.