Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners

SUMMARY

Effective from Monday (September 16), non-compliant restaurants will be delisted from the platform, Zomato’s food ordering and delivery division CEO Rakesh Ranjan said

Ranjan said that AI will continue to play an important role at Zomato for cataloguing for food as well as quick commerce business

The development comes almost a month after Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal urged restaurant partners to avoid using AI to generate dish images in restaurant menus

Listed foodtech major Zomato has banned the use of AI-generated images on its restaurant partners’ menus and marketing materials in an effort to prevent misleading advertisements.

Effective from Monday (September 16), non-compliant restaurants will be delisted from the platform, Zomato’s food ordering and delivery division CEO Rakesh Ranjan told Financial Express.

Ranjan said that the problem of AI-generated images is not that widespread and the company aims to crackdown on it in the starting stages only. 

However, Ranjan added that AI will continue to play an important role for cataloguing for food as well as quick commerce business.

The development comes almost a month after Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal urged restaurant partners to avoid using AI to generate dish images in restaurant menus. 

“We will actively start removing such images from menus by the end of this month. And will stop accepting AI generated dish images (as much as we can detect them using automation),” he said on X (formerly Twitter). 

According to Goyal, the use of AI to generate dish images led to numerous customer complaints. It also led to higher refunds and lower ratings. 

To assist restaurants in this transition, Zomato is offering discounted photoshoot services to its partners. As part of this initiative, the company will provide professional photoshoots at a rate of INR 4,000-5,000, depending on the proportion of the menu that requires photography.

Small restaurants typically spend between INR 7,000-15,000 for photoshoots that cover around 70% of their menu, the FE report said.

The latest development comes at a time when Indian enterprises have started leveraging AI to improve their services and increase efficiency amid the global GenAI boom.

In June last year, Zomato appointed a head of AI product development to enhance AI-driven features in the app, including search functionalities, notifications, and backend tools such as product photography and customer support. Later, it launched a chatbot Zomato AI to offer convenience and personalisation to customers

Meanwhile, Zomato’s rival Swiggy partnered with Spyne.ai to provide AI-backed photoshoot features to its restaurant partners. The IPO-bound company was also piloting an AI chatbot named ‘neural search’ that offers personalised recommendations for a user’s open-ended and conversational queries. 

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners-Inc42 Media
Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company