This Global Nutrition and Hydration Week 2024, researchers have announced that consumers generally prefer AI-generated images of food over authentic food images, especially when they are unaware of their true nature.
These new findings, published in Food Quality and Preference, suggest that AI-generated food visuals enhance the appeal of depicted foods due to symmetry, shape, glossiness, and overall lighting and colour.
"Humans tend to feel uneasy with objects pointing towards us, interpreting them as threats, even when it's just food. When tasked with replicating food photos featuring items pointing at the viewer, such as a bunch of carrots or a piece of cake, the AI often positions the food so that it doesn't directly point at the viewer," said Lead author Giovanbattista Califano (Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II).
"This warrants further studies, but it's plausible that this approach enhances the perceived attractiveness of the depicted food."
As part of the study, 297 participants rated authentic or AI-generated food images on a scale from "Not at all appetising" to "Extremely appetising.".
When participants were told how each image had been created, they rated real and AI-generated versions equally appealing. However, when participants were unaware of the image creation process, the AI-generated version was consistently rated as significantly more appetising than the actual food image.
"While AI-generated visuals may offer cost-saving opportunities for marketers and the industry by reducing the cost of commissioning food photoshoots, these findings highlight potential risks associated with exacerbating 'visual hunger' amongst consumers—the phenomenon where viewing images of food triggers appetite and cravings," said Study supervisor and co-author Professor Charles Spence (Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford).
With the increase in trends such as sustainability and 'ugly' produce, the constant production of enhanced food images might nudge consumers towards an unrealistic standard of how natural foods should look, potentially harming sustainability efforts.
Read more about the impact of AI on the food industry here.
