Restaurants Launch Campaign with Handwritten Notes Against Artificial Intelligence Images
In response to synthetic food images produced by artificial intelligence, restaurant businesses are announcing with handwritten notes that they will not use AI in their promotions.
Following increasing customer reactions to synthetic food images prepared with artificial intelligence, many restaurants launched a campaign announcing in handwriting that they will not use AI in their promotions. These handwritten notes, shared on social media and receiving hundreds of thousands of likes, sparked a new debate highlighting human labor and sincerity in restaurant marketing.
Customer Reaction to Artificial Intelligence Images
The artificial food images used by restaurants in their shop windows or on social media accounts directly affect customers' first impressions of the business.
In recent months, unrealistic textures emerging in bread and pastry images generated by artificial intelligence have drawn criticism from users.
Visual Errors and Trust Issues
Anatomical and textural errors in artificial intelligence images are noticed more prominently in food advertisements, negatively affecting customers' perception of products.
Although replacing real photos with synthetic images in promotions provides cost savings, it can create problems in terms of brand trust.
The Trend Started with Handwritten Notes
Business owners taking short notes in their own handwriting on social media has turned into a new form of communication rapidly spreading among restaurants.
The fact that handwritten notes establish sincere communication despite their low production costs ensures that the shares receive high engagement on social media.
Businesses Joining the Campaign
Businesses such as South Carolina-based chef Nikko Cagalanan, L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn, and Niu Mama in Phoenix supported the campaign with similar messages.
The messages prepared by chefs with their own hands make the human behind the business directly visible, contrary to professional advertising designs.
The Value of Human Labor in Gastronomy
The fact that food culture is shaped by tradition and personal experience makes human labor a more valuable element in the visual communication of restaurants.
In an assessment by The New Yorker, it is argued that synthetic images can give the impression that the food presented to the consumer is also industrial.