From A to Z

Written by Asa-Mari Z. –– Key Points McDonald’s Netherlands released a Christmas ad created with generative AI that reframed the season as “the most terrible time of the year,” depicting escalating holiday mishaps relieved only by McDonald’s. The ad faced widespread backlash with reports noting that comments were disabled and versions were later made private or pulled. Public criticism centered less on the use of AI itself and more on the decision to pair AI with a cynical, misery-forward holiday narrative aimed at an already fatigued audience.