AI-generated food images are showing up on restaurant menus

In short: More restaurants are using AI to generate menu food photos, and many customers say the images look fake and unappetizing.

What's going on

Restaurants and cafés are increasingly using generative AI, which is software that can create new images from a text prompt (like asking for “a bowl of ramen with pork and eggs”). Owners use it for menus, storefront signs, and online posts because it is fast and cheap.

But the pictures often look “almost real” in a way that feels off. Food can look too shiny or too smooth, and it can be oddly perfect and symmetrical. Some images show ingredients that repeat, melt into each other, or sit in impossible positions, like toppings floating instead of resting on the dish.

People online have started calling these images “AI food slop.” Reports have pointed to examples like rubbery-looking pasta, strangely patterned buns, and sandwiches where the fillings look fused together. A San Francisco café, Grind & Unwind, faced criticism after it displayed AI-generated pictures of its drinks and food.

What to watch

For small businesses, the risk is trust. Menu photos are supposed to help you know what you are ordering, like a label on a package. If the picture looks wrong, customers may wonder if the restaurant is hiding something, or if the real dish will not match what is shown.

Some research suggests the problem is strongest when images are close to realistic but still imperfect. That “uncanny” feeling can be more unpleasant than clearly cartoon-like art or a normal photo. Some owners say AI images still work for them, but restaurants may shift toward real photography, or clearly illustrated images, to avoid confusion.

Source: NYTimes