Restaurants are now showcasing AI-generated images of food, and the reception has been rather mixed.
Across the U.S., dining establishments are increasingly opting for AI-created visuals instead of genuine photographs of their meals. This shift is often praised for saving small business owners both time and resources, but critics have taken to social media to deride these AI images as warped and even disturbing.
In Brooklyn, Daisy’s Diner and Bar has adopted this approach; owner Jordan Beau mentioned in a Wall Street Journal video that they shoot actual food photos and then enhance them with AI for greater impact. “All of our food is shot live by real people, and we’re using AI to enhance it. That’s it,” he explained. “It allows our design team to take an image that previously took hours to refine and reduce that time to just a few minutes.” He claims that the improved imagery results in “great menus.”
‘Yum, Slop’
However, not all restaurants have had positive experiences with this trend.
Grind & Unwind, a café in San Francisco, faced backlash online after debuting a temporary menu filled with AI-generated food images while they established their business in May. One user on Reddit derisively commented, “Yum, slop,” expressing doubt that AI imagery aligns with the identity of a long-standing small business in the neighborhood.
Another Reddit user chimed in about the menu, saying, “That coleslaw looks terrible, and all the bread looks like reptile skin.” Subsequently, the café’s awning was vandalized with the word “seriously” spray-painted in red.
Similarly, a deli in Chicago, Chi-Town Deli, created a temporary menu using AI imagery while they awaited authentic photos. This too drew negative reactions online.
Chris Murphy, a writer, referred to an AI-generated Reuben sandwich as looking “like vomit” in a post that included an image of their menu.
‘Lovecraftian Food Horrors’
Further examples of AI food photos have surfaced on online platforms, often with humorous critiques.
One user remarked on the tragic state of local delis, describing the resulting images as “Lovecraftian food horrors,” a nod to H.P. Lovecraft’s weird fiction. Another user hilariously noted having “the mega horrors” after seeing an AI-generated breakfast burrito.
Another pointed out, “Has anyone told restauranteurs that they don’t need to use the ‘crawling with maggots’ setting when they generate these images?” in reference to a picture of fried chicken.
Conversely, some restaurants are steering clear of AI altogether.
A handwritten sign from Wyoming’s Chugwater Soda Fountain expressed, “We will not be using AI flyers or photos to promote ourselves,” and it gathered a lot of attention online with thousands of likes.
DoorDash and Uber Eats have both unveiled AI tools to help restaurants refine their menu photos while keeping the actual appearance of the food intact. Yet, it seems that as more eateries experiment with these technologies, there are growing concerns about the nature and quality of the images being shared. As Brendan Sweeney from Popmenu observed, he found multiple pizza places using the same obviously AI-generated image when he searched for pizza, highlighting the issue of distinctiveness in these AI applications.
