Minnesota nonprofit featured in Super Bowl commercial
NEW HOPE, Minn. — A Minnesota nonprofit was in the spotlight Sunday during the Super Bowl.
Can Do Canines from New Hope was featured in a second-half commercial for Google.
"Blow my mind, that is a good way to put it," said Jeff Johnson, Can Do Canines' executive director.
The ad showed how the nonprofit uses Google's AI software.
For 35 years, Can Do Canines has paired trained service dogs with people who may be hard of hearing, have autism or other disabilities.
Google shot an ad with a business in each state that will air in those states.
"We asked them, 'Why did you reach out to us?'" Johnson said. "They just said, 'We saw your stuff on social media and on your website and thought it was a good story.'"
Johnson says the day of the shoot in October was chaotic, in a good way.
"Obviously the purpose of it is to sell their product, but they also featured our story as to who we are and doing that in 15 to 20 seconds is not easy, but I thought they did a really good job of it," Johnson said. "We got dogs, what more can you ask for?"
Johnson sees real potential in AI one day making the matching of dog and client more efficient. He says the nature of AI means it could come sooner than anyone might expect.
"It's just so hard to predict what AI's going to be able to do because five years ago we would've laughed at some of the things happening now," he said.
Johnson says the exposure is invaluable for their nonprofit's mission.
