Coca-Cola Told Consumers To 'Make It Real,' Now They're Using AI To Create Drinks

Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO) launched a novel flavor for its limited-edition beverage line, “Coca-Cola Y3000,” created in-part by artificial intelligence (AI) for both flavor determination and package design.

What Happened: Drawing from its Creations platform, Y3000 has a unique AI twist. To pin down the additional flavor note, Coca-Cola used AI to discern suitable flavor pairings based on human insights into what the future might taste like.

The company also used AI-generated images to influence the packaging's aesthetic, according to CNN, which is a nod to the Y2K era with distinct pink and blue hues, pixelated branding, and labeling of its AI co-creation.

Purchasers of the drink can also access the Creations platform through a QR code on the can, which takes them to a portal that shows what the year 3000 might look like.

The new AI-flavored drink follows Coca-Cola's recent thematic flavors like Starlight, Dreamworld, and Byte, inspired by themes like space, dreams, and pixels respectively.

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Coca-Cola has been discreet about the exact flavor profiles of the limited releases, with only hints from Oana Vlad, senior director of global strategy at Coca-Cola, suggesting they are 85% to 90% Coke with an unexpected twist.

CEO James Quincey, speaking at a conference last year, said the flavors aren't meant to be permanent, as they serve to push boundaries and increase consumer engagement.

While the new drink seems to be the first consumer-facing AI-product from Coca-Cola, it may not be the first AI product for company insiders. Back in February, Benzinga reported that the company partnered with OpenAI through global consultancy firm Bain & Company.

Coca-Cola intended to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E to refine their brand, marketing, and overall consumer experience.

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