Coca-Cola, a brand synonymous with the holiday season, is facing a frosty reception over its latest Christmas commercial, which swaps human creativity for artificial intelligence. The ad, designed by Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic AI,” was meant to showcase the brand’s embrace of next-generation technology—but instead, it has left many longtime fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

The 15-second commercial, a nod to Coca-Cola’s iconic 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” campaign, features a convoy of bright red Coca-Cola trucks navigating a snowy road to deliver bottles of soda to a picture-perfect Christmas town. While the imagery is meant to evoke nostalgia, the AI-generated nature of the ad has sparked outrage online, with critics calling it a “creepy dystopian nightmare” and an affront to genuine artistry.

The backlash has been swift and severe. Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), have been flooded with criticism.

“The world is so over if the Christmas Coca-Cola advert is made with AI,” one user lamented. Another commenter on YouTube declared, “Sad to see this was made with AI-generated program.” Perhaps most pointedly, a disillusioned fan wrote, “I feel like I’m watching the death of art and our planet unfold in front of my eyes, and no one seems to care.”

This sentiment is not surprising. Coca-Cola’s holiday commercials have long been celebrated for their ability to stir up warm, festive emotions. By outsourcing the creative process to machines, critics argue, the company risks losing the soul of its storytelling—a key ingredient in its global appeal.

In defense of the campaign, Coca-Cola executives insist that AI is merely a tool to blend tradition with innovation. Jason Zada, founder of the AI studio Secret Level, which collaborated on the project, claimed the technology still relies on human input to achieve the emotional warmth the ad aims to convey.

Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s vice president and global head of generative AI, highlighted the practical benefits of using AI, particularly the speed and cost-effectiveness of the production process. “Speed is, I would say, five times faster,” Thakar explained. “And that is a huge benefit… You can do more variety, more customized, and more personalized [content].”

But critics argue this focus on efficiency has come at the expense of authenticity. Instead of feeling festive, many viewers feel alienated, describing the ad as “soulless” and “lazy.” The use of AI, they contend, undermines the artistry that makes holiday traditions like Coca-Cola’s commercials so beloved.

Coca-Cola’s AI experiment reflects a broader trend in the corporate world: the growing reliance on artificial intelligence to cut costs and speed up production. While companies tout the benefits of AI-driven campaigns, consumers are pushing back against what they see as a sterile, impersonal approach to art and culture.

This clash raises an important question: How far is too far when it comes to replacing human creativity with artificial intelligence? For Coca-Cola, the backlash to this ad may serve as a cautionary tale about the limits of automation in a world where emotional connection still matters.

As the holiday season unfolds, Coca-Cola may find itself reconsidering whether its bold leap into the future was worth alienating the loyal fans who have long made it a centerpiece of their Christmas traditions. In the quest for speed and savings, the company may have overlooked the simple truth that authenticity cannot be manufactured—no matter how sophisticated the AI.