The Fast-Food Giant Takes Down Artificial Intelligence Christmas Ad After Backlash.

McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert created via Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread criticism on social media.

The 45-second film was produced with the help of AI video tools and was initially published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Social Media Response and Decision to Pull

Following its publication, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".

"This incident represents an important lesson as we investigate the proper use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.

The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".

The Movement of AI in Advertising

Adverts that include generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among large companies, notably for the Christmas season.

• Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
• Inherent Limitations: Since clips made using current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some commenters pointing out it might reduce opportunities for production staff.

Response from the Creators

Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.

Bridge claimed, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a proper commercial."

Divisive Audience Sentiment

While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.

For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.

However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for using AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".

The episode illustrates the continuing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.