Instacart Uses AI to Generate Questionable Food Photos

• Instacart uses dubious AI to generate questionable recipe photos.
• The legally ambiguous photos spark ethical concerns while risking consumer trust.
• Emerging generative AI requires industry best practices around IP protections and transparency.

AI-generated recipes

Instacart has begun utilizing AI systems to create food images for its AI-generated recipes, resulting in often unappetizing and unrealistic photos.

As noted by users and confirmed by Business Insider, the pictures frequently depict physically improbable food compositions and properties.

Examples include a hot dog with the internal texture of a tomato, a lemon-lettuce hybrid, and a cookie hanging on the side of a coffee mug.

Disclaimers and ethical concerns

Instacart recipes also contain a disclaimer stating they are AI-powered and may need adjustment.

A spot check found thousands of recipes with this text paired with AI-created images.

The use of such AI visuals remains legally ambiguous regarding copyrights and raises ethical questions around proper attribution.

Getty Images recently sued Stability AI for allegedly using its photos without permission to train AI systems.

Balancing innovation and trust

While seeking to optimize consumer experience through new generative AI applications, Instacart risks decreasing appetite and trust by utilizing unrealistic imagery.

As more companies test out emerging generative tech, establishing industry best practices around transparency and IP protections remains a challenge.