Shrimp with faces on their tails appeared in a clearly AI-generated banner, an unexpected sight for a customer ordering from their favorite Thai restaurant.
The unsettling image sparked a debate over restaurant advertising and whether promotional photos should show customers what they can actually expect to eat.
Here's what to know
In a Reddit post shared to r/mildlyinfuriating, the customer described spotting the banner while ordering online.
"Was going to order online but stopped in my tracks when I saw the new banner for the restaurant," the original poster wrote. "This place is awesome. Their food is so much better than the shrimp with faces on their tails. Will anyone learn that AI generated food is completely disturbing?!"
Commenters shared their agreement with the OP and frustration with this increasingly common practice.
"I ain't eating anywhere that uses AI photos. Not because I have beef with AI. Just because I wanna see what I eat," one user wrote.
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Another added: "AI food looks genuinely disgusting, and I will never buy from anywhere that used them. If you use little effort to advertise, I expect little effort for my food too. AI food looks horrifying, but even then I want to see what I am eating!"
A third commenter similarly explained: "I wouldn't eat anywhere having AI food on their menu. If you're not confident that your food looks good? I'm not either."
What can be done?
One suggestion was to ask the restaurant whether its ordering platform supplied the banner. Doing so could determine whether the image reflected the restaurant's own marketing decision or something added by an outside service.
"Just because they suck at marketing doesn't mean their food suddenly dropped in quality," someone else advised.
Where can I learn more?
Similar complaints about AI-generated food images have surfaced.
• Diners recoiled at AI menu images showing meat resembling leather belts and reptile-like bread.
• Just Eat's AI menu images drew attention for sausages and eggs floating in cola.
• AI-generated images are appearing on restaurant menus, and they include food that doesn't exist.
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