AI food ads spark backlash; restaurants say they're temporary

The article traces how AI-generated food ads have become a recognizable nuisance, with images that trigger trypophobia or look too perfect to be real. Yet for small businesses like Grind & Unwind on Haight Street or Chi-Town Deli in Chicago, the reason is practical: they need a menu or sign while waiting for real photos. This isn't a new problem—since the 1965 Supreme Court case, advertisers have used stand-ins like mashed potatoes for ice cream—but AI makes it possible to advertise food that never existed at all.

The legal line, as experts explain, isn't about realism but deception. If a reasonable consumer would interpret the image as making specific claims about composition or quality, it could be deceptive. A label saying "AI-generated" doesn't automatically fix that, because it doesn't correct a false impression. The stakes are high for both sides: restaurants risk backlash and legal trouble, while consumers may be misled about what they'll actually eat. The outcome hinges on how courts and regulators apply old rules to new technology, and whether the public's distaste for "food slop" pushes businesses toward more honest advertising.