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Adaeze Onejeme highlights the growing trend of AI-generated food imagery in restaurant marketing

Adaeze Onejeme, a Los Angeles ad sales worker, identified a growing trend of artificial intelligence-generated food imagery on restaurant menus. While visiting a night market, Onejeme observed that many stalls featured menus with pictures that appeared too perfect or rubbery, leading her to describe the phenomenon as an "AI flyer epidemic." Research indicates that while generative AI offers a cost-effective solution for small and mid-sized restaurants, it can sometimes result in an "uncanny valley" effect where the food looks slightly off or alien. Studies have shown that consumers often feel less desire to eat AI-generated food compared to realistic photos because the images can trigger evolutionary sensitivities to potentially unsafe food. Restaurant owners are increasingly adopting AI to manage marketing budgets, with 26% of operators using the tools for marketing purposes. However, some operators have faced negative reviews after their AI-generated images went viral for being unappetizing. Experts suggest that while AI is useful for backend tasks like scheduling and payroll, using it for visual marketing requires a balance between high-quality output and the actual meal served.

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