AI generated advertising has once again left people scratching their heads after a food advertisement turned a popular Malaysian dish into something that looked anything but appetising.
In recent years, more food businesses have been turning to artificial intelligence to create promotional posters and images. While the intention is usually to make dishes look more attractive and appealing to customers, AI-generated visuals can sometimes produce bizarre details that have the exact opposite effect.
A recent example surfaced online being reported by ChinaPress, after a social media user shared a promotional image from a nasi lemak shop in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. The advertisement was created to promote a nasi lemak dish served with spice-coated fried chicken.
However, the AI generated image quickly caught netizens’ attention for all the wrong reasons.
The fried chicken leg appeared to be covered in countless tiny bumps, while the nasi lemak had a strange texture that some said resembled clusters of insect eggs. The fried egg was also dotted with black spots that appeared almost mouldy.
With so many unusual details covering the food, the advertisement looked more likely to put customers off their meals than make them hungry.
The original poster jokingly remarked that whether someone loved or hated spice-coated fried chicken, the advertisement would probably leave them momentarily speechless.
The image soon sparked discussion online, with netizens sharing other examples of AI generated food advertisements that had similarly “gone wrong”.
One such example was supposed to showcase a Mexican wrap filled with ingredients such as eggs, potatoes, sausages and cheese, all wrapped in a tortilla. Instead, the AI-generated image gave the food a bizarre texture that looked almost like stretchy lotus root.
The surface was also covered in numerous black spots, once again creating an appearance that resembled mould.
As AI image generation becomes increasingly common, food businesses can certainly benefit from being able to create promotional materials more quickly and at a lower cost. However, these examples highlight one important problem: AI does not always understand how food is supposed to look in the real world.
Without proper human checking, seemingly minor AI-generated mistakes can turn into major advertising fails. Instead of making customers crave the food, an unrealistic image could leave them questioning whether the dish is even safe to eat.
For businesses, the lesson is simple: AI may be a useful tool, but it should not replace human judgement. Before putting an AI-generated food image on an advertisement, someone should probably take a second look, preferably before the internet does.
Jovy Jing (ndreagoh@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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