The AI-slop menu is disgusting and, sadly, makes perfect sense

Five media outlets are reporting on a wave of AI‑generated restaurant imagery that many describe as unsettling. The practice sees AI creating promotional posters, menus and ad visuals, a surprise given the expectation that automation improves design quality. Business Insider calls the resulting “AI‑slop menu” disgusting yet understandable, highlighting a tension between novelty and aesthetic standards.

The surge follows broader industry experiments with generative tools for visual branding. Toronto Star notes that the Canadian National Exhibition will review AI‑generated images after a dispute over vendor posters, while Newswav reports a Malaysian restaurant’s AI‑crafted nasi lemak ad that shocked online users. Creative Bloq displays nightmarish real‑world menus, arguing AI is eroding folk graphic design, and Bon Appétit documents restaurants deploying unsettling AI food photos.

Restaurant owners, designers and diners are all caught in the shift. The pending CNE review could set a benchmark for how AI imagery is approved in public events, and the netizen backlash may push brands to reconsider automated visuals. Designers are likely to voice opposition as the debate unfolds, signaling a potential recalibration of AI’s role in culinary marketing.