Robo Soda: Coca-Cola Introduced 'Y3000' Pop 'Co-Created' by AI

Coca-Cola has launched “Y3000,” a limited-edition beverage designed to “taste like the future” and billed as “co-created” by AI to determine its flavor and packaging.

CNN reports that for the past year and a half, Coca-Cola has been experimenting with limited-edition beverages with enigmatic flavors and futuristic concepts. The latest addition to this lineup is Coca-Cola Y3000, a drink billed as a “bright fruit taste” of the future. What sets Y3000 apart is the company’s use of AI in crafting both its flavor and its packaging.

The move comes as Coca-Cola aims to keep its century-old brand relevant, especially among younger consumers. In recent years, the rise of health-conscious consumers has posed challenges for soda brands, making it increasingly difficult to market sugary beverages, despite young people’s love for calorie-bomb Starbucks drinks. To counter this, Coca-Cola has leveraged its Creations platform, responsible for limited-edition flavors like Y3000, to resonate with a younger demographic.

So, what does the future taste like? According to Coca-Cola, Y3000 is designed to taste mostly like the classic Coke we all know, but with a twist. “The flavor profile is always, we say, 85 to 90% Coke. And then that 10-to-15% twist of something unexpected,” said Oana Vlad, senior director of global strategy at Coca-Cola. To arrive at this unique flavor, the company first gathered human insights on what flavors people associate with the future. Then, AI was employed to finalize the flavor pairings and profiles.

The packaging for Y3000 features a Y2K aesthetic with bubbles, pink and blue coloring, and a pixelated logo. The aluminum can even gives credit where it’s due, prominently noting that it’s “Co-Created with AI.” It should be noted that not everyone seems to be in love with AI deciding the future of consumer products:

Robo Soda: Coca-Cola Introduced ‘Y3000’ Pop ‘Co-Created’ by AI

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