Why AI food posters need to be banned in Toronto

AI this, AI that, how about no AI at all?

I’m so tired of seeing AI food posters, and all the photos I’ve seen from friends and on social media visiting the CNE are filled with AI slop in the background.

I’d say most people agree with me based on reactions online. Everyone is so over it, and the majority never liked AI food posters to begin with.

I’m going to take it a step further and say the CNE should’ve banned all AI-made posters to begin with! They don’t look appealing, sometimes even gross and they usually deter people from the business instead of bringing in more customers.

According to the CNE’s concession and midway application guidelines, the CNE “prides ourselves in having extremely high standards for our concessionaires.”

Did you know that “The CNE reviews each application for proper completion, product integrity, product quality and booth display.” So… they saw all the AI posters that didn’t look like the actual product and allowed it.

To the businesses that sold at the CNE this year, if you can coordinate all the logistics and are confident enough to pay money up front and give the CNE 25% of your gross sales (or minimum guarantee), you can pay a photographer for food photos or literally use your own phone.

We, as a society, need to return to poster-making before the AI era because anything would be better than using generative AI to create a fake product you can’t replicate IRL.

We all know CNE prices have been rising over the years, like the almost $30 entry fee, the foods get crazier and more adventurous (did you see the KD-inspired smoothie?) and the shrinkflation is real.

The mental prep work of allowing yourself to spend a lot of money at the CNE washes away after being handed a sushi push pop stick that looks nothing like the AI-advertised picture (surprise).

AI food posters spotted on the CNE grounds.
📸: Aia Jaber/The Green Line.

AI food posters spotted on the CNE grounds.
📸: Aia Jaber/The Green Line.

It’s deceiving, false advertising and needs to be stopped.

I know the AI boom is moving faster than our laws can keep up with, but we need to do something.

These AI food posters aren’t just at the CNE; they’re taking over all festival booths and even your mom-and-pop local restaurants, who may not understand why it’s horrible to use AI and that it’ll actually slow down business because they used AI advertisements.

We need regulations about AI in food advertisements. We need to stand together. Fight back. Reach out to these businesses and urge them to return to human-made artwork.

How have you been protesting AI usage in Toronto? Send me an email at julia@thegreenline.to or a DM on social media.