AI-Generated Food Images Can Make People Feel Uncomfortable

New research has revealed why AI-generated food images can make people uneasy — raising questions about the potential of the technology to replace traditional food photography in ads.

AI has made huge advancements in generating realistic images, including pictures of food. But while some AI-generated food images look good enough to eat, others seem strangely off-putting and wrong to viewers.

According to a report by News Medical, an upcoming study investigates why some people feel uneasy when looking at AI-created food pictures, particularly those that are almost, but not quite, realistic.

The study, which will be published in journal Appetite in April, 95 participants were shown 38 images, including realistic food, imperfect (for example, distorted) AI food, unrealistic (cartoonish or highly stylized) AI food, and rotten food. They rated these images on eeriness, warmth, and realism, while also completing a questionnaire on their levels of food neophobia (the tendency to reject or be reluctant to try new and unfamiliar foods). Researchers used statistical models to analyze the data, focusing on how realism influenced perceptions of uncanniness and pleasantness.

The results confirmed that slightly imperfect AI-generated food was the most unsettling. In contrast, both highly unrealistic AI food and real food were perceived as more pleasant. This suggests that the brain is more forgiving of food images that are either obviously real or obviously artificial but struggles with images that seem “almost real” but have something slightly off.

Interestingly, people with higher levels of food neophobia were more likely to find imperfect AI-generated food images unsettling, while food disgust did not play a significant role. According to News Medical, another surprising finding was that individuals with a higher BMI tended to view AI-generated food images more favorably.

The findings could have important implications for industries that rely on food photography in ads and marketing. While AI has the potential to replace traditional food photography, the technology may not quite be there yet. If AI-generated food images are used in marketing or menus, they must be carefully designed to avoid triggering discomfort in viewers. Small visual mistakes can make food seem unappetizing rather than appealing in an AI-generated image.