Imperfect AI-generated food images are unsettling, falling into the uncanny valley—where realism meets discomfort. Could food neophobia be driving our aversion to these digital dishes?
Study: Eerie edibles: Realism and food neophobia predict an uncanny valley in AI-generated food images. Image Credit: Shutterstock AI
In a study soon to be published in the journal Appetite, researchers explored what it is about images of food generated by artificial intelligence (AI) that evoke feelings of uncanniness in the people who see them.
Their findings suggest that viewers find AI-generated images less pleasant and uncannier than both realistic and unrealistic (cartoonish or abstract) images. Further, perceived pleasantness and affinity initially declined before increasing in a cubic rather than a simple…