The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert produced via AI following encountering considerable online backlash.
The brief ad was developed using AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an important lesson as we examine the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly during the festive season, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Adverts that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among prominent companies, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos created using current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics stating it might reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise faced criticism for using AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
