Coca-Cola slammed after airing 2024 Christmas commercial: 'Genuinely so terrifying to me'

Social media users have put Coca-Cola on their naughty list after balking at the brand's attempts to bring back the magic of years past with its AI-generated Christmas spots. 

What's happening?

As detailed by Forbes, Coca-Cola's bid to recreate its iconic 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" Christmas ads fell short after the company commissioned three artificial intelligence studios to produce the ads using generative AI. 

Coca Cola's annual Christmas commercial has been created with AI this time. pic.twitter.com/xO72akwoBh

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 15, 2024

The results left internet users feeling anything but merry, with the spots featuring some hallmarks of AI-generated content, like distorted proportions and unsettling facial expressions that are just a bit off. Forbes speculated the latter blunder may have been why Santa didn't appear in the ads. 

"One can only imagine the leering faces of Santa that the AI models generated — who needs the 'Nightmare Before Christmas' when we have the fever dreams of AI?" senior contributor Dani Di Placido wrote for the publication. 

"Feels painfully ironic that they're using 'real magic' as a slogan while making the fakest, most talentless ad of all time," an internet user pointed out on a Discussing Film (@DiscussingFilm) post of the ad on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Why is this important? 

One social media user argued that AI usage has gone beyond what it reasonably should, chastising Coca-Cola for commissioning the "soulless" ad at the expense of creative and skilled workers.

"Coca Cola using AI for an ad is genuinely so terrifying to me. Art is dying," they wrote on X. "Actors, replaced. Camera workers, replaced. Drivers, replaced. Designers, replaced."

Other commenters on X thought it was ironic that Coca-Cola featured polar bears in the ads, pointing out how AI data centers and servers are horrible for the environment, consuming vast amounts of freshwater and projected to gobble up as much electricity as some small countries. 

Google is the among the tech giants reporting an increase in planet-warming emissions amid the development of AI, noting a 48% increase in 2023 in this year's environmental report. 

Are there any positives to AI? 

While AI still has its hiccups when it comes to accuracy, it has significant potential to contribute to a brighter future — though AI-generated content isn't quite as "clean" as it may seem even when compared to the labor and resources that go into traditional commercial production. 

For instance, British startup Drift Energy is using AI to improve its ability to produce green hydrogen, a more sustainable fuel. The tech is also showing promise in monitoring vulnerable animal populations and reducing chemical contamination in agriculture. 

Scientists are also working to boost data-center efficiency, while other tech firms intend to scale up their usage of nuclear energy as a means of reducing AI-related pollution, per Fortune. 

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.