Spotify is the Latest Brand Facing AI Backlash Over Wrapped Campaign

Spotify is the latest brand to face criticism for using generative AI in its highly anticipated end-of-year campaign, Wrapped, released yesterday (Dec. 4).

Disgruntled users took to TikTok, X, and Reddit to air their grievances with the campaign’s AI-powered features, calling the music streamer “lazy” and saying the work “flopped” for its lackluster design and removal of specific information, like users’ top music genres.

It also did away with Sound Towns, a feature rolled out in 2023 that matched listeners to geographic locations based on their streaming habits. 

Instead, the music streaming platform added new AI-powered features, like Your Music Evolution, where based on their listening history, users received up to three descriptors to reveal “the musical phases that uniquely defined your year.”

Spotify used machine learning with human curation to pinpoint words and genres based on user data like time spent listening to an artist or genre and peak listening months.

“No top genres, no location for music styles, and the genres on like 3 months are random words tossed together,” wrote a Reddit user.

In addition to its previous AI DJ and AI Playlist features, Spotify also added an AI Podcast built with Google’s NotebookLM.

“With this personalized Audio Overview, you can dive deeper into your top songs, artists, and genres—all delivered by two dynamic AI podcast hosts,” per its site.

The Spotify Wrapped criticism is also rooted in the fear that AI is replacing creative jobs.

In 2023, the music streamer faced several rounds of layoffs. At the end of last year, it cut 17% of its workforce, or more than 1,500 employees, partly due to “slowing economic growth and expensive capital.”

“…We still have too many people dedicated to supporting work and even doing work around the work rather than contributing to opportunities with real impact,” CEO Daniel Ek wrote in a company email at the time. “More people need to be focused on delivering for our key stakeholders–creators and consumers.” 

While the company has not responded to the Wrapped backlash, users were quick to correlate the past job cuts with its new AI features.

Rage against the machine

The backlash against Spotify comes at a time when consumers are increasingly criticizing brands for using generative AI in their marketing campaigns.

Coca-Cola recently faced scrutiny for using AI to reimagine its classic “Holidays Are Coming” ad, released last month. At the time, many artists and creative professionals expressed concerns about creative jobs being replaced by the technology. 

Forbes also pointed out inconsistencies in the ad, saying some of its details are “off,” like the size of the people, and Christmas lights and buildings possessing “nonsensical shapes and patterns.”

Toys ‘R’ Us caught similar heat. In June, the toy retailer debuted its AI-generated “The Origin of Toys ‘R’ Us” ad featuring a child version of its late founder Charles Lazarus.

It received mixed reactions, with some users on X liking the ad and others not so much. AI video maker Allen T. pointed out discrepancies in the depictions of Lazarus throughout the ad.

“Hands still need work,” he wrote in one post.  

Consumers are also uncomfortable with ads promoting AI-powered tools that minimize creativity and humanity. Apple’s Crush ad, released in May, was pilloried for depicting creative tools, like paint brushes and cameras, being crushed by a hydraulic press.

And Google’s ad Dear Sydney, released ahead of the 2024 Olympics, was widely panned for depicting a father using AI to help his daughter write a letter to her icon, a scenario many felt stripped a sweet father-daughter moment of its humanity.