The Coca‑Cola Company Joins MIT AI Impact Consortium to Tackle Real-World Problems With Tech

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital technologies are transforming nearly every aspect of The Coca‑Cola Company’s global business. From R&D and marketing to inventory management and supply chain procurement, the company is constantly exploring how AI can progress creativity, productivity and collaboration.

Now, the company has joined the newly established MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium as a founding member. This collective is committed to harnessing the power of AI for societal good through bold collaborations. 

TCCC joins OpenAI, Analog Devices, Tata Group, SK Telecom and TWG Global in the consortium. The group of interdisciplinary MIT researchers and cross-sector industry leaders will bridge cutting-edge AI research with real-world expertise to generate open-source solutions to some of the world’s biggest, most complex challenges. As AI-driven innovation continues to accelerate and disrupt industries, the consortium will help ensure these technologies evolve in responsible, meaningful ways. 

“We’re thrilled to have the support of Coca‑Cola as a founding member of the Consortium,” said Anantha P. Chandrakasan, Provost of MIT. “Their global reach and insights will be critical in helping us identify pressing challenges, pulling together the right partners and resources, and putting plans into action to solve problems.”

TCCC, an early adopter of AI and digital experimentation, is the consortium’s only CPG representative. “This represents a best-of-the-best combination of industry practicality and academic rigor,” said Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President and Head of Generative AI at The Coca‑Cola Company. “It also perfectly complements our commitment to make a difference by using AI in service of humanity.”

TCCC's consortium membership comes as they kick off their Project “Save the Orange,” which aims to combat the devastating impact of citrus greening. Citrus greening, a bacterial disease known as HLB (huonglongbing), threatens the world’s orange supply, and has no known cure. Since emerging in 2004, HLB has infected nearly 100% of Florida’s orange trees and has triggered billions of dollars in losses to the global citrus industry. Without improvements in detection, management and treatment, the global orange supply could vanish in the next 25 years. 

“Save the Orange,” was developed in collaboration with Fundecitrus, and Invaio Sciences. This initiative unites experts from AgriTech, Biotech, Computer Science, Data Science, Life Sciences, and Public Policy. A team of MIT professors and industry leaders have already kicked off research.

“As a leading provider of fruit juice worldwide, we have a unique perspective on the critical issue of citrus greening. In these challenging times, we stand with the orange farming community and are closely collaborating with Brazil-based research lab Fundecitrus to find a viable solution,” said Christina Ruggiero, President, Global Nutrition Category at The Coca‑Cola Company.

“Citrus greening is one of the greatest threats to global citrus production, demanding urgent and collaborative action. Through the ‘Save the Orange’ partnership with The Coca‑Cola Company, Fundecitrus reaffirms its long-standing commitment to science-driven solutions, transparency, and innovation. Together, we are uniting knowledge, technology, and people to safeguard the future of citrus.” Antonio Juliano Ayres, Executive Director, Fundecitrus

“We have an unwavering commitment to developing effective solutions for citrus growers in the fight against HLB. We’ve seen firsthand the devastation of this disease, and the proven efficacy of our Trecise treatment in stopping it. Treatments and application technologies will be critical components of a multi-pronged coordinated effort to restore tree health, citrus production, and farmer profitability; we are honored to contribute our products and expertise to it.” Amy O’Shea, CEO Invaio Sciences and CEO Partner, Flagship Pioneering.

Generative AI is revolutionizing these fields by using data simulation to compress research timelines from years to months. “Save the Orange” is inspired by the collaborative spirit of traditional tech hackathons, where programmers gather to write code or develop software in a tight timeframe.

“We’re deploying cutting-edge Generative AI in service of humanity and tackling globally critical problems. Citrus greening has impacted farmers for over 15 years; now it’s high time to combine Generative AI with AgriTech, Biotech, and Life Science to accelerate research and innovation,” said Thakar. “This complex issue demands a unique level of partnership and collaboration to slow down the spread of HLB, and ultimately find a long-term solution.”

About The Coca‑Cola Company
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium 
The MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC) is a cross-disciplinary initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that brings MIT researchers and industry partners together to unlock generative AI’s potential and steward a flourishing AI ecosystem. Through research partnerships, open-source solutions, and real-world pilot projects, the Consortium aims to tackle pressing challenges in high impact areas to accelerate innovation while ensuring its benefits are broadly shared.

Founded in 2025 as an MIT presidential initiative, MGAIC unites leading faculty, industry innovators, and policy experts to drive research breakthroughs, develop transformative applications, and address the societal and ethical implications of AI. 
Learn more at https://generativeai.mit.edu.

About Fundecitrus 
The Fund for Citrus Protection (Fundecitrus) is a private, non-profit association committed to citrus health and applied research in citrus farming. Established in 1977 by citrus growers and the juice industry, Fundecitrus has fostered strong integration of research, extension, and agronomic practices to control citrus diseases and pests. The primary areas of focus include research, extension services, education, crop estimation, surveys, and the promotion of best labor practices. The overarching goal is to enhance the competitiveness of Brazilian citrus farming in the global market.

Headquartered in Araraquara, São Paulo, and operating across the citrus belt of São Paulo and the Triângulo/Southwest of Minas Gerais — the largest orange-producing region in the world — Fundecitrus collaborates with a worldwide network of researchers, technicians, and laboratories.

Currently, Fundecitrus conducts more than 60 projects on citrus pests and diseases in partnership with national and international institutions. Among its most notable scientific contributions is the support for the sequencing of the Xylella fastidiosa genome (the causal agent of CVC), the synthesis of the citrus borer moth pheromone, the detection of greening (HLB) and sudden death, the management strategies for CVC, greening and citrus canker with emphasis on regional management of greening, sequencing of the Brazilian strains of the greening bacteria, among other research efforts of great relevance to the citrus industry. Fundecitrus has played a key role in helping growers cope with citrus greening for more than two decades.

About Invaio Sciences 
Invaio Sciences, a Flagship Pioneering company, is accelerating the leap to nature-positive agriculture. The company builds on advances in human health and digital innovation to develop sustainable and advanced crop protection solutions, enabling farmers to both improve yields and reduce reliance on traditional chemical treatments. As one of several efforts, Invaio is partnering with the citrus industry to create precision solutions to combat citrus greening and improve grove productivity. Our mission is to leave every acre better today and for generations to come. For more information, please visit www.invaio.com or follow Invaio on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn.