Zomato bans AI-generated food images from its menu

Zomato has banned the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated food images from the food menu on its platform. The move comes at a time when generative AI-based tools are increasingly being used across industries for generating images and videos.

It is worth noting that Zomato had announced a ban on the use of AI-generated images for food menus back in August this year. At the time, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal had said that while the company incorporates AI in its workflow to make it more efficient, it 'strongly discourages' the use of AI in images for dishes at restaurant menus.

"AI-generated food/dish images are misleading, and we have received numerous customer complaints on this issue. Customers say that this leads to breach of trust, and it leads to higher complaints & refunds, and also, lower ratings," Goyal had written in his post on X (formerly Twitter) at the time.

Now, nearly a month after the announcement, Zomato has started implementing the ban on AI-generated food images in menus, media reports state.

Zomato vs Swiggy

Interestingly, both Zomato and Swiggy have taken an opposite stand in terms of using AI for food images. While Zomato has banned the use of AI generated food images, Swiggy is promoting the use of AI for the same.

The company had introduced a Photoshoot feature within the Swiggy Owner app last year. This feature used AI to 'enhance, and perfect restaurant menu images'.

" Swiggy ’s ‘AI-enabled Photoshoot Feature’ simplifies the process, eliminating the need for costly photographers. We hope restaurant partners and owners will take full advantage of this offering," Swiggy's CEO of Food Marketplace, Rohit Kapoor, had said while announcing the feature last year.