Coca-Cola’s New AI-Generated Soda Flavor Falls Flat

As if the hype around AI couldn’t get any more exasperating, Coca-Cola had to hop on the bandwagon. The massive beverage company has tapped an artificial intelligence to serve as its advisor in developing a new flavor of its titular soft drink. Naturally, Gizmodo had to get to the bottom of it (the soda bottle) and the results were… unsurprising.

You ever close your eyes and expect a punch in the mouth, but receive a slight flick on the nose? Drinking Coke’s Y3000—short for “Year 3000″—flavor is like that. The tagline “Futuristic Flavored” may have you expecting bold flavors of a prosperous tomorrow, but that couldn’t be more off-base. The first time the bubbling liquid hits your tongue you expect the same acidic, carbonated sensation as a regular Coke, but the drink slithers to the back of the mouth and sits there, broiling with a numb triviality across your tastebuds. And then the flavor is gone, leaving you with a vague aftertaste of berries and sugar.

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