Some local restaurants are turning to AI to generate images of their menus and advertisements, leading some customers to revolt.
Right near Bayview Station is Green Maple Mart and Kitchen, a family owned hot food and convenience spot.
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Green Maple isn’t shy about its use of AI. Generated images plastered across the inside and outside of the building are filled with scaly-looking burgers and rubbery, too-symmetrical pizzas.
Green Maple’s owner, Ali Dehghan, said that AI has been a huge help as a small-business owner, and that it doesn’t reflect the food he makes.
On Instagram, Green Maple’s food looks nothing like it does in its posters — it looks real.
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“When I run my business, I use AI to design my menu, my sign, and prices. It helps me to get a good price on my food,” said Dehghan, who added that it has also helped because Persian is his first language and his English isn’t strong.
“That is not appetizing and obviously not reflective of what you’ll actually be eating if you ate at this restaurant,” said Ottawan Cameron Ryan, who added that if given the choice, he’d prefer to eat at a spot that didn’t use AI-generated images because they show a lack of care and look “gross.”
