McDonald's pulls AI Christmas ad after backlash
48 minutes ago Share Save Laura Cress Technology reporter Share Save
McDonalds An AI-generated image from the McDonald's Netherlands advert
McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) following online backlash. The 45-second advert was produced with generative AI clips and released publicly on McDonald's Netherlands YouTube channel on 6 December. Viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film, with one commenter calling it "the most god-awful ad I've seen this year". On 9 December McDonald's Netherlands removed the video, adding in a statement to BBC News that the moment served as "an important learning" as the company explored "the effective use of AI".
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. Adverts which include generative AI have become a growing trend among major brands, such as Coca-Cola, particularly for the Christmas season. The McDonald's advert depicted things that can go wrong during the Christmas break, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year", and suggesting the time was better spent in the company of the fast food giant. Following its release, viewers criticised the film's uncanny-looking characters and large number of stitched together clips, calling it "creepy" and "poorly edited". As clips made using generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run for - most clips made using the process tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds long - even a 45-second advert would likely consist of many videos edited together. The video also provoked concerns for job displacement in the industry, with one Instagram comment noting: "No actors, no camera team..welcome to the future of filmmaking. And it sucks."
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