Instacart Had Its Big Break During the Pandemic
Instacart first opened its doors and started delivering groceries around San Francisco, California, in 2012, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 lockdown that the company started making headway.
Source: Shutterstock
When many Americans were unable or didn’t feel safe going to the grocery store during the pandemic, millions decided to use companies like Instacart to have their food and necessities delivered to their door. And even after restrictions were lifted, people continued using the service because they enjoyed the convenience.
Instacart Made a Big Change in 2023
Instacart’s services and products have more or less stayed the same over the past few years, but the company has made one significant change: Instacart is now partnered with OpenAI.
Source: Linkedin
In May, the food delivery company announced that it would be providing an “Ask Instacart” chatbot created by OpenAI on its website and app in the hopes of “optimizing for the best user experience.”
What Instacart Didn’t Tell Its Customers
However, nowhere in the news release did Instacart explain that they would also be using OpenAI to create many of its recipes and photographs, but that is exactly what they did.
Source: Freepik
Not only is it obvious that many photographs and recipes clearly weren’t generated by a human being, but Instacart has also added a disclaimer to all recipes created by AI.
So Far, There Are 8,000 AI-Generated Recipes on Instacart
The disclaimer reads: “This recipe is powered by the magic of AI, so that means it may not be perfect. Check temperatures, taste, and season as you go.”
Source: Instacart
According to Business Insider, over 8,000 recipes on the website include this disclaimer. That means that 8,000 recipes were created by AI and certainly aren’t foolproof, which, of course, is frustrating for many customers who rely on recipes to be correct just as they are.
Instacart’s New AI-Generated Photos Are Painfully Bad
Instacart has received some negative feedback from customers regarding the recipes, but it’s really the photos that are causing the biggest upset.
Source: Reddit
On various social media platforms, such as Reddit, Instacart users have been uploading their least favorite AI-generated photos on the company’s site, and many of them don’t even look like food.
Who Gave the Go-Ahead for These Pictures?
Many Reddit users, and really anyone who sees the photographs, are thinking to themselves, “Who gave these the green light for use?”
Source: Reddit
Lemons don’t look anything like lemons should, chickens have additional limbs, and hot dogs that have the consistency of tomatoes fill the recipes page of Instacart’s app, and customers can’t stand it.
As the Saying Goes, 'You Eat with Your Eyes First'
Some of the pictures are downright disturbing, while others are simply completely inaccurate, but they all make the food look extremely unappetizing.
Source: Reddit
And the popular proverbial saying, “You eat with your eyes first,” can definitely be proven true after looking at these pictures. There are very few people who would look at them and think, “Wow, I’d really like to order and eat that right now!”
Using AI Isn’t Necessarily the Problem
Many Instacart customers have reported that their complaints aren’t with the company’s decision to use AI for its recipes and photographs, but that they’ve clearly chosen an inferior model and haven’t taken the time to check for mistakes.
Source: Reddit
However, there are discussions happening behind the scenes as to whether Instacart’s use of AI-generated images is even legal.
The Gray Area of AI-Generated Images
As AI-generated content becomes more popular, there are some questions as to the legality of its creations, specifically regarding copyright infringement and the rights of intellectual property.
Source: Getty Images/@GettyImages/Facebook
In fact, Getty recently filed a lawsuit in which they charged Stability AI with using its photos without paying (via The Associated Press). While the case is ongoing, the court’s decision will likely have a substantial impact on the future of AI-generated images.
Instacart Has Yet to Apologize for Its Unappealing AI Photos
When other companies, such as advertising agency Wacom, got called out for using AI-generated images, they quickly took them down and apologized to their customers (per Reuters).
Source: Shutterstock
However, since Instacart proudly announced that they were using AI both in a public statement and even on their website, they probably won’t be making a similar apology about their partnership with Open AI.
Customers Want Instacart's Photos Changed ASAP
Many Instacart customers aren’t mad that the company is using AI for its images; they are just disappointed with how disturbing and unappealing they look.
Source: Freepik/Instacart
It seems that the general consensus is that if a company is going to be selling food, the food should look delicious, not disgusting. Hopefully, Instacart understands this bit of common sense sooner rather than later.