Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal announced on Sunday that the platform will remove AI-generated food images from its listings following a wave of customer complaints. The move comes after users expressed concerns about the misleading nature of these images, which were initially intended to enhance the visual appeal of dishes.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Goyal acknowledged the issue, stating that he had "received numerous complaints about these misleading images." He further explained that the use of AI-generated images has led to "breach of trust between customers and restaurants" and resulted in "increased refunds and lower customer ratings."
While Zomato utilises AI in various aspects of its operations, Goyal underscored the company's stance against using AI for dish images. "At Zomato, we use various forms of AI, to make our workflows efficient. However, one place where we strongly discourage the use of AI is images for dishes in restaurant menus," he stated.
The company plans to actively remove AI-generated images from menus by the end of this month and will also reject new submissions of such images. Goyal urged restaurant partners and Zomato's internal marketing team to cease using AI-generated images for promotional purposes.
Instead, Goyal encouraged restaurant owners to utilise Zomato's free real food photography service. "Restaurant owners – if you haven't yet invested in real food shots for your menu, please reach out to our catalogue support team, to schedule a photoshoot," he advised. He clarified that Zomato does not profit from this service, offering it at cost to partners.
This decision highlights the growing concern surrounding the ethical implications of AI-generated content, particularly in contexts where authenticity and accuracy are paramount. Zomato's proactive approach aims to restore trust and ensure a more transparent experience for its users.
The announcement comes on the heels of Zomato's impressive Q1 FY25 financial results, which showed a 74% year-on-year growth in revenue and a remarkable 126% surge in net profit.