AI Is Coming For Your Uber Eats Food Photos

For many, the first step to finding a great meal in a new city involves a deep dive into online reviews, menus, and especially, user-submitted food photos. Authentic pictures of what you can expect to receive are a crucial part of the decision-making process. It's a feature many of us take for granted, and one we wouldn't want generative AI to interfere with.

However, Uber Eats is taking a different approach. The company recently announced a suite of new "smarter tools for restaurants," which includes using artificial intelligence to make food photos look better. While this feature is interesting, it also raises questions about transparency and the potential for unintended consequences.

Why Uber Eats Is Turning to AI

In a recent company blog post, Uber detailed its new tools designed for the more than 1.5 million merchants on its platform. These restaurants, located in over 11,000 cities worldwide, rely on the service to boost revenue and are looking for ways to simplify their daily operations. The new features focus on AI, real-time communication, and community content.

Beyond just photo editing, Uber's new AI tools will help merchants by analyzing customer feedback to provide summarized reviews. This can help restaurant owners quickly identify important feedback. AI will also be used to autofill menu descriptions, a time-saving feature, provided the descriptions remain accurate.

The Double-Edged Sword of AI Photo Enhancement

The most controversial use of AI in this rollout is photo enhancement. Given that generative AI can create hyper-realistic but fake images, there's a valid concern about AI-altered images in food listings, particularly if they are not clearly labeled as such.

Uber states that its goal is to help restaurants showcase their food more accurately. "We're using AI to detect and enhance low-quality food images – improving lighting, resolution, framing, and plating – to help restaurants showcase their dishes more accurately while elevating the customer experience," the company explained. While the example provided shows a seemingly honest enhancement, the idea of altering images of the food you're about to order remains unsettling for some.

A Crowdsourced Alternative to AI Images

Fortunately, Uber is also offering a more authentic way to improve its photo library. The company is launching a program that will pay Uber Eats users to take photos of their food if the item they ordered is missing a menu picture. Users in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the U.K. can receive Uber Cash for their submissions—for instance, $3 per approved photo in the U.S. This could be a better way to source realistic images directly from the community.

Finally, Uber also announced a new Live Order Chat feature that allows restaurants to communicate directly with customers after an order is placed. This tool aims to improve order accuracy by allowing both parties to discuss menu changes, allergens, or other special requests in real time. You can read the original article on BGR.