August 19, 2024 Zomato, a leading food delivery and restaurant discovery platform in India, is taking a firm stance against the use of AI-generated images in restaurant menus. CEO Deepinder Goyal has urged restaurant partners to avoid these images, highlighting how they can mislead customers and damage trust.

The company has received numerous complaints about the inaccuracy of AI-generated food images, leading to increased refunds and lower ratings. There has always been a degree of unreality in producing pictures of food and restaurant dishes, but apparently, AI generated pictures mark a significant enough departure to generate complaints from customers.

In response, Zomato will begin removing AI-generated images from menus by the end of August 2024 and encourages restaurants to invest in real food photography.

The company is also ensuring that its marketing team adheres to the same guidelines, promoting transparency and authenticity across its platform. Zomato offers support to restaurant partners by providing photo shoots at cost, ensuring that all menu visuals accurately represent the dishes offered.

it’s one of the first big examples of a customer backlash against AI images and provides the chance for some thought and reflection about when and how AI generated imagery should be used in retail marketing and advertising.

Thanks to Aditya Bhagchandani of Business Upturn for flagging this story.