Artificial intelligence has a firm grip on restaurants and bars, with many venues using AI-generated images for menus, signage and promotional material. The results range from slightly enhanced versions of original images to nightmarish, cartoonish creations that can put off diners.
Why AI images are off-putting
Despite venues' best intentions, feeding a simple command into an AI platform often produces food that looks rubbery and unappetising, as if an alien was tasked with creating what humans might eat. The images can poorly reflect the ethos of the establishment and hinder the message businesses want to convey about fresh produce, quality and customer care.
Using AI significantly altered images also brings into question authenticity, with diners wondering whether the dish served would actually look like the advertisement.
Why venues turn to AI
AI is a cheap and quick way to generate visuals, marketing materials and menus for little-to-no cost. Testing it out, a burger menu was created with just three commands and in less than two minutes.
The hospitality industry faces daily struggles, including the cost-of-living crisis, high energy and utility bills, rising rent and food costs, higher National Insurance Contributions, National Living Wage, increased business rates and one of the highest VAT rates in Europe. With slimming margins, little money is left for marketing, and many owners work more hours, doing both front and back of house themselves.
Small businesses held to unfair standards
A pub landlady facing backlash for using AI to promote menus pointed out that huge international chains are not held to the same standards. She wrote: "Do you comment on McDonalds posts? I haven't had a burger that looks like their posters and adverts for about 30 years!!!" and added, "Or is it just small businesses you like to irritate? Because we aren't the ones with an £4.5 billion global marketing budget FYI."
The overwhelming use of AI in hospitality is toxic for the industry's ecosystem, which also supports artists, designers and illustrators. It creates mistrust between customer and venue, with many unsure what is real and what is slop.
A short-term solution with long-term risks
The reasoning behind AI use is understandable, as it is one of the hardest times to run a hospitality business, and small fixes can make a big difference for time-poor owners. However, while it might be a useful short-term solution, it stands to erode the relationship between customer and business, which could mean make or break.
Most customers would not mind a quick chalkboard picture of the day's menu or a poorly lit image of a meal, because that feels authentic and real, unlike something from a fairytale or another planet.
