The Fast-Food Giant Takes Down AI-Created Festive Advertisement After Online Criticism.

McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement created using Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread public disapproval.

The brief film was created with the help of AI-generated video and was originally uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.

Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull

Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. Many called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".

"This experience serves as an key learning as we examine the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from the company.

The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that can go wrong during the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".

A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials

Adverts that include AI tools have become a increasing trend among large brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.

• Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: As segments produced with generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about automation in the creative industry, with some critics stating it might affect opportunities for camera crews.

Defense from the Creators

Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.

Bridge claimed, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."

Mixed Public Reception

While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.

For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.

However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".

The situation highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.