Emmanuel Myburgh reports via 404 Media: Dozens of ghost kitchens, restaurants that only offer food for delivery on apps like DoorDash and Grubhub, are using AI-generated images to sell the food they promote to customers. It's common for advertisements to stage or edit photos of food to make it look more appealing, but in this case, the ghost kitchen literally doesn't exist and the product is actually being sold. Showing people pictures of food that don't look alike. In some cases, this is because flawed AI is producing food that is physically impossible. […] Some ghost kitchens exist as unmarked commercial kitchens that only exist with food delivery services, fulfilling orders for various brands, and without an actual restaurant that you can visit. Other ghost kitchens are piggybacking on existing real restaurant kitchens to fulfill orders for brands that exist only on food delivery apps.
[The food from a business on DoorDash called Pasta Lovers] In fact, the product comes from Tony's Pizzeria in North Brooklyn, which also takes orders for a cheesesteak brand called Philly Cheese, a hero sandwich brand called Hero Mania, and a wrap brand called That's a Wrap. All of these brands are delivering food from various ghost kitchens across the country, and all of them use the same type of AI-generated images to promote their food, and some Some of them seem ridiculous. […]
“We do not allow the use of AI-generated images. If we discover that a merchant is using images, we remove them from our menus,” Grubhub, which also operates Seamless, told me in an email. Told. However, as of this writing, his AI-generated image on Seamless that I sent to the company still exists on the site. “We understand how important it is for diners to have realistic expectations about what they order and what they should receive. That's why we share our image guidelines with our partners and ensure that image submissions are our They are reviewed by our systems before being allowed on the platform.'' DoorDash is committed to creating a realistic representation of the meals customers would receive when they order online. told me via email. “Displaying high-quality, accurate, and realistic menu images is critical to maintaining customer trust and generating sales through DoorDash Marketplace.” “This is all incredibly depressing.” Myburgh concluded. “The local pizzeria has to make ghost kitchen-branded sandwiches to stay afloat, the people who make a living taking pictures of food are being replaced by AI tools, and the big food delivery apps are still trying to keep restaurants from getting away with it.” They’re taking their share and making a profit” and screwing over the gig delivery drivers. ”
“AI-generated images of food that people can order and eat are shockingly literal representations of Jean Baudrillard's “simulacra.'' Baudrillard says that Spicy Philly Cheese is “never true.'' It's not a hidden thing, it's the truth.'' It hides nothing. ”