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Nasty AI food posters

35 replies

saltshaker99 · 02/09/2026 18:36

I went into town today and to a touristy bit with a lot of food stalls, I hadn't been in a while so this took me by surprise. The sheer amount of food places that have really terrible looking AI images on them. The better ones looking like plastic food and the worse ones looking like trypophobic brain surgery. There's a cheapie pizza place that used to have a poster of a nice looking pizza in the window and I used to always crave pizza when I walked past. They've changed it to a picture of a pizza looking like it's made out of play-doh and doesn't have cheese on it. Well I'm not going to crave pizza anymore when I walk past! I'm wondering, truly wondering, what is going through the owners heads when they put these up. Do they think it looks nice??? These places had normal pictures up before so it looks like they've made the active decision to take down their old pictures and replace with AI. Maybe it was a little while ago and they saw this new thing that can make a picture for you, and thought that's sooooo cool I want this modern thing for my shop! And now they regret it because everyone else did the same thing and it just looks cheap and embarrassing now.

OP posts:
BarryKentPoet · 02/09/2026 19:24

I know what you mean, Im not sure why people are talking about photoshop. AI is so obvious and fake looking, in a different way to photoshop.

ShitFacedShakespeare · 02/09/2026 19:18

saltshaker99 · 02/09/2026 19:15

I don't think it's really the same thing, the purpose of editing the photos was to make the food look better than it is. This is making the food look worse than it is/not like an edible object.

There's always been plastic looking burgers and lettuce though.

I think they've just modernised the way they lie.

saltshaker99 · 02/09/2026 19:16

Propagandalf · 02/09/2026 19:08

10 years ago, the outlets Photoshopped their images to make that burger look bigger.

The term AI is so over-used now. It's only AI if it uses machine learning / neural networks. Chances are, these images are still using Photoshop with the tools built in that are marketed as "AI" but aren't.

If they're generating images then it's AI surely. I'm not taking about edited images here.

OP posts:
saltshaker99 · 02/09/2026 19:15

ShitFacedShakespeare · 02/09/2026 18:41

It's all bollocks anyway.

Even going back decades have you ever seen a McDonald's burger that looks like the actual photo?

It's the same with KFC and most places really.

Now they've just replaced photoshop with AI images.

I saw a documentary once where they showed how supermarkets stuff their turkeys with newspaper and paint them with wood stain and varnish, to get the 'perfect Christmas dinner' magazine shots.

I don't think it's really the same thing, the purpose of editing the photos was to make the food look better than it is. This is making the food look worse than it is/not like an edible object.

OP posts:
Propagandalf · 02/09/2026 19:08

10 years ago, the outlets Photoshopped their images to make that burger look bigger.

The term AI is so over-used now. It's only AI if it uses machine learning / neural networks. Chances are, these images are still using Photoshop with the tools built in that are marketed as "AI" but aren't.

MandemChickenShop · 02/09/2026 18:56

AI slop. foods probably worse. avoid

Shedmistress · 02/09/2026 18:56

OnlyUsername · 02/09/2026 18:47

I can't stand these awful flat-looking muddy-coloured AI posters in coffee shops and online for events. All with the same awful font. It's an immediate no from me.

They are everywhere! I just completely ignore them all.

BoredZelda · 02/09/2026 18:53

If the old posters were absolutely fine, why would they change them? That makes no sense.

OnlyUsername · 02/09/2026 18:47

I can't stand these awful flat-looking muddy-coloured AI posters in coffee shops and online for events. All with the same awful font. It's an immediate no from me.

ShitFacedShakespeare · 02/09/2026 18:41

It's all bollocks anyway.

Even going back decades have you ever seen a McDonald's burger that looks like the actual photo?

It's the same with KFC and most places really.

Now they've just replaced photoshop with AI images.

I saw a documentary once where they showed how supermarkets stuff their turkeys with newspaper and paint them with wood stain and varnish, to get the 'perfect Christmas dinner' magazine shots.