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A coffee shop owner used AI to make a menu poster. Then came the angry DMs

82 points · 316 comments · TMWNN

  1. izzydata · · focus · HN ↗
    Threatening people is unwarranted, but of course people are allowed to choose where they buy coffee for whatever reasons they see fit. If the market decides that stores with AI posters aren't the place to be then the business has to adapt.
    1. garyfirestorm · · focus · HN ↗
      i generally go to the store where the coffee tastes better
      1. seattle_spring · · focus · HN ↗
        Using AI to make a sign is likely a pretty good indicator as to the effort the owner puts into other aspects of their business.
        1. orangedog · · focus · HN ↗
          It only signals to me that they have other priorities.
          1. Draiken · · focus · HN ↗
            Correct, but they own a coffee shop, they aren't building rockets. The menu is definitely a significant part of it.

            If they can barely do that, then I'm sure they're slacking off on more stuff too.

            1. orangedog · · focus · HN ↗
              It was just a replacement for those temporary chalkboard menus, the person wo did that previously left. Perhaps she has bad taste but that doesn't mean she was slacking off. Did they spend a lot of time on the chalkboard menus previously?
              1. ssl-3 · · focus · HN ↗
                Just printing this item was reported in the article as costing $150.

                How much might it cost to have someone local show up and produce a decent-looking chalkboard display?

                1. skupig · · focus · HN ↗
                  This is what people are actually mad about when businesses use AI art. You claim to live in an artistic community, great, ask your staff if they have any friends who draw who want to come by and make a quick $100. You spent more money on a worse result that alienates your community.
              2. Draiken · · focus · HN ↗
                Honestly, I'd rather have a word printed doc for the menu than this. It's not that difficult, doesn't require any skills and doesn't take any time.

                IDK, you own a business and do this sort of stuff and all sorts of red flags go off for me.

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