The food menu is lying to you

Ever look at a menu lately and feel… uneasy?

You’re not alone. Restaurants are increasingly using AI to generate photos for their menus. It sounds like a cost-saver. But the results are often bizarre. Bread that looks like reptilian skin. Meat that seems leathery or just plain wrong.

These images fail because they lack texture and context. A real photo of a burger captures light, steam, and the messy reality of food. An AI model just guesses what a burger "should" look like based on a pile of data. It ends up creating a simulation that looks technically correct but feels biologically hostile.

This is a lesson in where AI should stay in its lane.

Generative systems are great for drafting code, summarizing heavy documents, or iterating on a basic idea. They amplify human speed. But when you ask them to handle something that relies on sensory perception—like appetite—they collapse.

If you're building a system, keep the human in the loop for the final output. AI provides the parts. You decide if the result is something people actually want to look at. Don't let the software decide the experience for you.

When you lose the human touch, you don't get a better menu. You get a reason for customers to walk out.

Source: Uncanny and unappetizing: appetites spoil as AI images take over food menus