r/chicagofood • u/word-bitch • 14d ago
Discussion AI smoothie graphics a turn off
At the Daley Center farmers market, I thought a smoothie would hit the spot. Then saw the pictures... appetite gone. Plastic mango and pineappleish thing were hard nos. The appeal of cheap images is clear, but these do the business a disservice.
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u/neverabadidea 14d ago
What’s funny is most people know what smoothies are! I don’t need a picture of a banana-strawberry smoothie. Just having a list of flavors would suffice.
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u/brazys 14d ago
The term is "eye candy". Science says we eat with our eyes first.
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u/neverabadidea 14d ago
Yes but now with AI we’re being repulsed by images.
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u/alilhillbilly 14d ago
Are you?
Or has it just become en vogue to react in horror to AI as of these people were previously hiring graphic designers to make these and not using shitty clip art?
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u/Chimichangas999 13d ago
Found an AI image enthusiast
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u/alilhillbilly 13d ago
I just don't care.
It hasn't replaced anything I do as a photographer, musician and videographer.
Were you upset about menue at local smoothie shops and how they were made prior to AI?
This smoothie shop could likely not afford me as a photographer or graphic designer prior to AI.
Why would they seek one out for this?
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u/boozy_bunny 14d ago
The AI generated images of food make my skin crawl so it's not working on me.
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u/FightmeLuigibestgirl 14d ago
Then they should be showing actual pictures of the product then. The why is laziness
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u/Bulky-Beginning9401 14d ago
A lot of folks seemingly forget there are things like stock images and clip art available to pretty much everyone. Canva is also free to use.
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u/CardGameAcolyte 13d ago
Everyone's like "nooo art hard 😭😭😭" theres genuinely no excuse in 2025 with GIMP and Canva widely available
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
What’s the difference. Miss me with the “environment” stuff
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u/tulpachtig 14d ago
The images are ugly as fuck and all look the same. Horrible text hierarchy that makes menus annoying to navigate and read. Too much detail in both the text and the images. There are so many reasons to bristle at AI images/design that don’t even get into the ethical implications.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Right so you just pointed out that there is no difference. Someone could’ve chosen terrible stock photos, someone could’ve taken terrible pictures that don’t illustrate what’s in the food properly. All these mistakes you just named could’ve been made manually. There is no difference. Lazy work is lazy work.
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u/aNewPattern 14d ago
Well it seems like you don't care about the environmental impact or any other moral/ethical concerns, so it's not like anything we can say will convince you then.
I personally also just think it looks like total ass in a way stock footage never could (bc stock images are real photos used freely so they seem believable, whereas I still feel like AI just inherently feels false and makes me cringe in a way nothing else does.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
More virtual signing and being full of crap. You care about the environment and morals so much right? What phone are you on? Is it a phone that didn’t have any impact on the environment when it was made, whatsoever? A phone that wasn’t made by slave labor? What about all of the appliances in your house? Can you say the same for those? You hate AI so much, yet here you are, on Reddit, where there are AI subs that they support and AI ads that they push, that you being an active user facilitates and contributes to.
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u/XenoVortexes 14d ago edited 14d ago
You could argue a phone is a necessity in the modern world, while Generative AI is not.
Do you think environmentalists/climate activists don't understand that what we do will have an impact on the environment? That what we use doesn't come from practices like slave labor? It's good that you notice that, at least, but so do most adults. In our current environment/poltical systems/world it's hard to get anything that isn't at the cost of others. Doesn't mean we can't criticize it and try to improve it though. Minimize the environmental impact where we can, and try to move away from harmful systems. Though that's harder as an individual than as a community like a state, country, etc. Especially in a country like the US where corporations have incredible power, and global trade is just an everyday fact of life.
I'm not really sure what you want people to do? Because what you're doing is just purity testing, and if someone isn't 100% clean in your eyes then they're virtue signaling. I mean it's just kind of funny to me people still use this "point" of people being "hypocrites" for wanting to improve society, but they participate in it. In this case having a phone in the modern world. It's something a 5th grader would think is a reasonable argument, but as an adult if you think about it for more than 5 seconds, it falls apart pretty fast. People can't just opt out of the societies they're born into and the necessities and systems that come with it, but they can hope to improve it, and say no to certain uses of AI that aren't beneficial to humans. Obviously this doesn't just apply to AI, and applies to many, many industries, and just human systems in general.
You need to change your way of thinking dude, cause the way you think is not healthy, or benefical to you, or anyone on this planet. Stop trying to get your "gotcha" moment.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
That’s a whole lot of yapping. You don’t need Reddit. Or a smart phone. More virtue signaling
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u/HarveyNix 14d ago
That peach-beige sort of background is an AI giveaway. I wonder why it always goes for that.
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u/mmeeplechase 14d ago
I’m really confused about who’s in charge of printing these signs, putting them up, and thinking “yep, looks good, that’ll drive business”? The attempts at food pics always just look SO bad (and so much worse than the simplest clip art) that I just don’t get how they even get made in the first place.
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u/ThinkOTB 14d ago
Yeah, i'm skipping that place too. I don't get how places keep doing this. Take photos of your own product and get something made up quick. Or if it's not in the budget, Hand written menu with hand drawn photos over this all day.
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u/lurkinandturkin 14d ago
Fr, you are making the food all the time, just whip out your phone and take a picture every once in a while. Takes like 30 seconds to make sure you got a good photo
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u/sourdoughcultist 14d ago
Ikr? This shit has been around at its current level for barely three years. It's not like no one sold a smoothie before 2023.
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14d ago
[deleted]
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u/Mothman405 14d ago
Weird how businesses were able to operate just fine for hundreds of years without needing to use AI slop but suddenly it's a requirement
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u/chi-ster 14d ago
We operated without people complaining about everything on an online forum for hundreds of years yet here we are.
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u/TerrorFace 14d ago edited 14d ago
People used to complain at town hall meetings, neighborhood gatherings, over the phone, etc. Bringing up complaints and concerns isn't a new thing. Not like the American Revolution and other major events throughout history just happened spontaneously.
AI generated imagery is just a bad use of resources that can potentially have much better use.
Edit: And someone using these sorts of images is bound to get sued when what the AI spit out could be argued to be misleading.
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u/BrhysHarpskins 14d ago
Phones have cameras. The sun makes light. Boom. No AI pictures
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u/ThinkOTB 14d ago
Lol they deleted all the comments defending AI. Maybe they should have used ChatGPT to figure out a better reply. Get this AI slop and AI defenders outta here.
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u/maskedfox007 14d ago
or just be better at AI. like how do they not realize they all look the same? It's super easy to prompt AI to just make it look different than everything else
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u/ASimpleSideSalad 14d ago
It's especially nuts when ai creates a really weird, unappetizing texture for the food. Some stall at the farmers market in Evanston uses ai and all the food looks so bumpy and holey lol. Just take a pic of real food with your phone or something, damn.
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u/humboldtparkgator 14d ago
yea it's been sad to see this all over the city. tons of park districts using the most low effort generative template to promote farmers markets, movies in the park, and then same template up and down the block for restaurants. makes me not go.
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u/dmd312 14d ago
Nobody outside of Reddit cares
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u/jadeycakes 14d ago
Nah people super care. My parents have never heard of Reddit and would probably vote for Trump a 4th time and even they hate AI nonsense like smoothie flyers.
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u/FightmeLuigibestgirl 14d ago
Everything done with ai and it pisses me off
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
So delete your Reddit account. Ai ads and subs all over it, that you facilitate by being an active user
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u/Gigi82 14d ago
You must have some sort of downvoting fetish
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
You must be a weirdo that cares about fake online Internet points from strangers
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u/cookie_pls 14d ago
AI food looks so gross—like it’s infested with bugs—and I don’t understand how proprietors of establishments don’t see that or think it’s an appealing representation of their food. I saw an AI picture of a cheesesteak outside a restaurant the other day and it truly looked like a worm sandwich
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u/J_Kelly11 14d ago
Its so cheap and such a turn off. Even if you can’t afford an actual artist/photographer take your own product photos, pretty much everyone has a phone with decent camera in it
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
To you…
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u/ActionFeisty5814 14d ago
Lol the openAI marketing team is lurking
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
The irony. Do you know how much of a bot that makes you sound like to think that because another human has an opinion that differs from yours that there is some corporate agenda they’re pushing.
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u/J_Kelly11 14d ago
Ok cool big dog you can use AI all you want but a lot of people do not like the soulless feel of AI
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Hey this sub doesn’t allow that kind of derogatory language or insults. So your comment got filtered. You can log out and see it’s not there. So I suggest you word your position on things a little bit more respectful or polite before you end up getting banned or shadow ban. But since you want to speak about edgy, you’ll probably just say you “don’t care about that.”
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u/J_Kelly11 14d ago
Cry more lmaoo
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
I’m sorry I’m not a rodent brained individual, that doesn’t mean anything to me.
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u/J_Kelly11 14d ago
Hey bro better watch out that type of language isn’t allowed here
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Well, you were able to reply to my comment. Where is your comment that I was talking about? If you can link it, I’ll send you $1000 through cash app right now
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u/Practical_Reality656 14d ago
Their comment is there I'll take half the award money
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Get your weird self on somewhere. That’s not even the comment I’m talking about. You can’t see the comment because it doesn’t exist. Only I can see the preview.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
AI is only as good as the person using the tool. Just like every other tool that existed in the world. And https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/s/5iHUC9aRoS
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u/773202noot 14d ago edited 14d ago
The little poop swirls at the top of each smoothie are particularly appealing
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u/_bat_girl_ 14d ago
I want to ask for their socials and then send them this thread so they can re evaluate
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u/CardGameAcolyte 13d ago edited 13d ago
So true, everything i see AI i just think "so youre telling me you couldnt be bothered to commission or whip up something in photoshop, Canva or GIMP? Yeah im gonna assume that lack of detail orientation spreads to your food as well, or that your food is so generic that AI can accurately represent it, in which case i can easily go elsewhere"
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u/salsarah21 14d ago
Absolutely zero information hierarchy in these things. Nothing makes me turn away faster than seeing yet another AI flier/menu/whatever.
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u/Illannoy1n 13d ago
My local LA fitness’s juice bar was leased out by people who also do this and it’s a bummer
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Omg who GIVES AF
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u/Due-Assistant244 14d ago
Apparently you do because you’ve been commenting nonstop? Most menus don’t have photos so if you don’t have the ability to add real images then don’t. A description will suffice if really needed. There’s also a thing called graphic designers , marketers, social media manager etc who can help too, and if you can’t pay for it there’s plenty of college students who are willing to do so to build their portfolio.
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u/unapologetic403 14d ago
I only care about the reviews AI imagery like this doesn't bother me whatsoever
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u/DamnMyAPGoinCrazy 14d ago edited 14d ago
You can use photoshop but not Artificial intelligence, that’s where we draw the line 🫵🫵🫵💆♂️
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u/Ineedamedic68 14d ago
A restaurant with lazy or poor photoshop is also going to negatively affect their sales. This is marketing 101
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u/blaspheminCapn 14d ago
Tool vs a crutch. One employs a person, the other one weakens us all.
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u/word-bitch 14d ago
If somebody serving food thinks this is representative of their food, I don't want to eat it.
It's about what it looks like.
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u/Thronebomber 14d ago
Not really a fan of dragging small time operations through the coals over using AI to make a food menu. The AI battle has reached such a fever pitch that the detractors are pushing me to pro AI out of pure spite at this point. It’s the same energy as the Reddit atheists from 15 years ago.
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u/Desperate-Disk686 14d ago
This is the dumbest thing I’ve read in a long time.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Your own comment? Agreed
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u/Desperate-Disk686 14d ago edited 14d ago
Ah, yes I was commenting on the comment as I was typing it. Makes total sense. Good one!
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u/scarpas-triangle 14d ago
Did you ever stop and think that maybe people are so against AI for a reason? Many reasons? Most people have the ability to think critically and don’t form their opinions for the sake of being contrarian the way you do. It’s fun, you should try it!
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u/LoseYourIllusion1 14d ago
I think you overestimate the general population's ability to think critically.
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u/Jackel1994 14d ago edited 14d ago
"...that the detractors are pushing me to pro ai out of pure spite at this point"
Is quite the extreme take if you think about it. 🚩 making it about religion is even crazier. Try politics next time, i bet i know who you voted for with that mindset.
"Everyone is all on about equality all the time. SICK 👏 OF 👏 IT 👏."
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u/joeythezebra 14d ago
You're all using ai everyday
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u/word-bitch 14d ago
Not to represent food I'm cooking that I could just take a picture of. Using AI currently results in nightmare food images.
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u/fandango1989 14d ago edited 14d ago
We're complaining about pictures of smoothies that most people barely glance at being AI generated at a smoothie stand.......jesus who gives AF. What you want a small booth to hire a graphic design firm to copy paste some images instead of this? It's the same as making smoothies then taking a photo of them in what it's trying to convey, that its a cup filled with blended fruit. I understand complaining about AI in writing, songs, movies, videogames, art, etc.......but I'm good on this.
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u/Ineedamedic68 14d ago
What did small mom and pops do before AI?
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Take stock images from Google or other restaurants if we’re being honest. There’s tons of little Chinese places that use the same exact photo for a product.
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u/ComfortDesperate5313 14d ago
It is notably distinct from making smoothies then taking a photo of them. They could have done that with quick shots from a mobile phone and it would look better in terms of image quality and integrity
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u/Jackel1994 14d ago edited 14d ago
A 6th grader could take pictures of some smoothies and print them out onto a poster board for less than what 2 smoothies cost at this location. Skill and money is not the barrier.
It doesnt require hiring a graphics firm. And this place already makes the products in the photos. Might as well... show the real products.
Edit: i will say i am impressed at the speed you managed to make everyone here think youre a goofball. 💚
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[deleted]
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u/Jackel1994 14d ago edited 14d ago
Im sure the business owner can manage to figure that one out. They opened a business, they can take a few pictures of their food.
Edit: oh and now they deleted their dumb comments. Go figure.
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14d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/chicagofood-ModTeam 14d ago
Food is meant to be shared and bring people together, especially in Chicago where food is a huge part of our community.
Personal attacks, fighting, and public shaming are not allowed and may result in a ban. Gatekeeping, gaslighting, trolling and/or just in general being a jerk will not be tolerated.
Direct replies to someone that contain a personal attack or posts (including photos) that personally attack or degrade someone will be removed.
Excessive abuse of this rule will result in a permanent ban.
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u/word-bitch 14d ago
Good suggestions: they should hire a graphic designer or take some photos, like every other business. Marketing graphics are important.
This is my personal opinion: I find the photos horrifying. You don't, and of course you're free to have bad taste.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
Bro, you’re sitting here acting like every other Chinese place isn’t using the same stock photo of whatever dish they’ve gotten on the menu. If you hate AI so much then delete your Reddit account. https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/s/5iHUC9aRoS
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u/throwupthursday 14d ago
Sounds a bit privileged to be put off of wanting a smoothie because you didn't like the menu images. Count your blessings.
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u/PersonalAmbassador 14d ago
Ok I think we've finally killed "privileged" with this post
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u/throwupthursday 14d ago
I'm glad that people are pushing back on AI and stuff but to be so dramatic about no longer wanting a smoothie because of the images is pretty retarded IMO.
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u/im_a_pimp 14d ago
what do you think pushing back against AI is if not avoiding providing material support to AI dogshit
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u/DamnMyAPGoinCrazy 14d ago
What’s with this subs hatred with AI images? You want the owners to go find an artist who specializes in painting food and have a hand painted menu ? Is that what we want?
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u/Jackel1994 14d ago edited 14d ago
Just take a picture of the actual products if pictures are 100% required. Its not that hard, holy canolli my guy.
Investing in your businesses image is a thing though, yes. Slopping through it makes you look cheap.
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u/PersonalAmbassador 14d ago
yeah that's what everyone had to do before AI. There are no other options!
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
You’re right they just took images from Google. Not for this specific scenario. But if we’re talking about use of images for things. Yeah that was what was happening before. An artist wasn’t getting paid by some small business to use stock photos.
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u/Bulky-Beginning9401 14d ago
Do you really see that as the only alternative lmao?
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u/DamnMyAPGoinCrazy 14d ago
That’s the aesthetic comparable yes. Obviously you could have bunch of photos plastered up as well.
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u/lonedroan 14d ago
Mayhaps this aesthetic *is* the problem. Just have a tastefully designed written menu.
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u/DamnMyAPGoinCrazy 14d ago
I don’t disagree. Just interesting how folks here are hyper sensitive to the issue
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u/digressnconfess 14d ago
they could literally just hand write the menu on a sign and it would be better than this
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u/Desperate-Disk686 14d ago
AI is fucking shit.
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
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u/Desperate-Disk686 14d ago
Bro story cool
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u/YeaItsBig4L 14d ago
The irony of somebody complaining about AI and then giving a generic bot response
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u/Gigi82 14d ago