Restaurants adopt AI food photography amid consumer backlash

Restaurants across the United States are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to generate or enhance food photography for their menus. While business owners note that AI tools significantly reduce the time and cost required for graphic design, the trend has faced backlash from consumers.

Some establishments, such as Brooklyn-based Daisy’s Diner and Bar, use AI to touch up real photographs of their dishes to speed up the design process. However, other businesses have encountered significant criticism. San Francisco cafe Grind & Unwind faced online mockery and subsequent vandalism after displaying an AI-generated menu that critics described as looking “unsettling” and “grotesque.” Similarly, Chi-Town Deli in Chicago experienced online backlash after using AI-generated sandwich images as a temporary measure.