No way to tell a fake: AI images face reality check

livemint.com:

Zomato has stopped using AI-generated food images. Artists and several others have also come out against such images. While there might be a compelling case for AI-generated images in some instances, platforms have to ensure transparency.

Mint explains: It was in response to customer complaints about artificial intelligence (AI)-generated food photos. In a post on X, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said: “One place where we strongly discourage the use of AI is images for dishes in restaurant menus. AI-generated food/dish images are misleading, and we have received numerous customer complaints on this issue." This leads to breach of trust and higher complaints, refunds, and also, lower ratings.

The platform urged restaurants to avoid using artificial intelligence for images of dishes. Zomato will start removing such images by the end of August. Read more: India’s generative AI startups look beyond ChatGPT-like models Software has been used over the past few decades to improve images.

But with AI, it’s not just about improving an image, but much more. There are many problems with AI-generated images: they can make the real look ‘unreal’, generate fakes, mislead users, create mistrust, and there could be copyright issues. They can also undermine those creating real work—from loss of creative control to ownership ambiguity.

When it comes to brands, marketing, etc., where consumers make decisions based on what they see, like on e-commerce sites or food apps, AI images can be misleading. It’s not easy. It’s about using good AI to track down bad AI.