Thread

1. HanShotFirst · 1789588770 · focus · HN ↗

   I've noticed a very sudden uptick in these AI designed signs and menus in my area. I fully understand why they are used by small business owners (fast and cheap), and I think getting angry at or threatening a business owner for using them is a huge overreaction.

   That said, my own aesthetic sense is very much turned off by them. It is hard for me to articulate why, but I can name four reasons:

   - The food never actually looks good, real, or delicious;

   - The information is presented in a haphazard way, with text randomly thrown all over the place;

   - There is really only one kind of "style" of these signs that I've seen, and it's sad to think that this style (or lack thereof) may become ubiquitous;

   - In a world where AI feels increasingly shoved down our throats, it is unnerving to so suddenly see its rise manifested in the physical world.

   1. sippingabonedry · 1789590378 · focus · HN ↗

      I have some bad news for you:

      • The pictures on cereal boxes aren't entirely real, either. They use school glue, not milk.

      • Your burger has never looked like the one on the menu (see Falling Down)

      • I've never eaten at a Chinese takeaway where the food looked like the light-up menu board, either.

      How has AI art made your food meaningfully less delicious?

      1. the_gastropod · 1789592182 · focus · HN ↗

         In the U.S., at least, this is not really true. The FTC has laws that prohibits companies from using non-food products (e.g., glue for milk or motor oil for syrup) in photographs of food they’re selling. They also have laws about deceptive marketing practices. These laws definitely aren’t perfectly enforced, but it’s hardly the widespread problem you’re suggesting it is. Also pretty funny to specifically highlight Chinese food, which has always looked like someone used a disposable camera to hastily snap a photo of a real plate of food about to be given to a customer sometime in 1997 in ~90% of the Chinese restaurants I’ve ever been to.

         AI obviously has 0 realness to it. So it’s worse in every way.

         1. phoghed · 1789592718 · focus · HN ↗

            In this cases isn’t it that they can use the glue for milk though because they aren’t selling the milk, it’s the cereal (enlarged for texture) that they are selling.

            1. the_gastropod · 1789593274 · focus · HN ↗

               Yes that is true. But, e.g., a restaurant that sells you a bowl of cereal would not be allowed to do this.

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