McDonald's Pulls Artificial Intelligence Festive Advertisement After Online Criticism.

The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advert made via AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.

The short ad was produced via generative AI clips and was first published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.

Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull

Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This incident is an key lesson as we examine the appropriate utilization of AI," said a representative from the company.

The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that can go wrong over the holidays, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".

A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising

Commercials that feature AI-created content have become a increasing trend among major companies, especially for the holiday campaign season.

• Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: As videos produced using generative AI are prone to become unstable the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
• Broader Implications: The video also sparked concerns about job displacement in the creative industry, with some observers noting it might reduce opportunities for camera crews.

Response from the Creators

Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

Bridge claimed, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".

"This wasn't just an experiment," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."

Mixed Public Reception

While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.

For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.

However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for using AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".

The incident illustrates the ongoing discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.