Social media users have coined the term “AI slop” to describe the flood of artificial intelligence-generated images filling their feeds. These visuals often share the same traits: warped bodies, uncanny expressions, and a synthetic look that feels rushed or unfinished. As AI tools become easier to use, people have gotten better at spotting AI-made images — and more upset about seeing them. Brands ranging from luxury fashion house Valentino to fast-food giant McDonald’s have faced customer backlash for using AI imagery in ads. In both cases, the companies pulled the campaigns after viewers said the content felt flat and out of touch.

Valentino’s AI ad drew criticism almost immediately after it appeared on Instagram. The short video featured models emerging from handbags and morphing into surreal shapes, with human arms twisting into the brand’s logo. Valentino labeled the ad as AI-generated, but many viewers said the visuals felt cheap and unsettling for a brand known for craftsmanship. McDonald’s faced a similar response with an AI-generated Christmas ad released in the Netherlands. The commercial showed chaotic holiday scenes created with AI, including people tripping, burning food, and struggling through family gatherings. Viewers complained that the imagery felt sloppy and emotionally empty, and some said the tone missed the point of the holiday season. In both cases, the companies said the ads involved human creative input, but that explanation did little to change public reaction.

The backlash to recent AI ads suggests that AI-generated imagery now carries its own set of meanings for audiences. Rather than reading as innovative or futuristic, this kind of content is often interpreted as cheap, strange, or carelessly made. Viewers are quick to associate synthetic visuals with low effort, even when companies insist that human work played a role in the final product. The similar backlash faced by Valentino and McDonald’s shows how AI-generated imagery is increasingly read through shared visual cues, regardless of a brand’s price point or positioning.

Questions:

  1. Why do you think many consumers responded negatively to AI-generated ads from Valentino and McDonald’s?

  2. Should companies continue experimenting with AI imagery in their advertising, or do these high-profile examples from Valentino and McDonald’s show why they should stop? Why or why not?