When Chris Murphy visited his local Chicago deli in late August, he was met with a menu that had been entirely overhauled with AI-generated imagery. The digital displays above the counter featured sandwiches with bizarre, repetitive textures that appeared hyperrealistic yet fundamentally fake. Murphy described the visuals as “AI slop” that immediately suppressed his appetite and turned his stomach. Had the deli retained its original menu—which featured standard food photography and descriptive text—Murphy said he would have placed an order. Instead, he found the AI-generated depictions “just so viscerally disgusting” that he showed his coworkers, who reacted with such revulsion that they “almost vomited.”
This phenomenon is not isolated to one deli. Across social media, users are sharing photos of similar “horror food” menus found at various establishments. One X user, whose post garnered nearly 2 million views, shared a picture of a sign outside a restaurant she passes during her commute. She labeled it one of the worst examples of AI-generated food menus she had ever encountered. The replies to such posts frequently mirror this sentiment, with users describing physical sensations of distress, such as the feeling of bugs crawling in their throats.
Psychologist Stephanie Sarkis explains that these intense reactions occur because the human brain struggles to process images that are almost real but clearly artificial. This creates a state of conflict between “approach and avoidance” as the mind attempts to categorize the visual data. For individuals with trypophobia—a condition characterized by an extreme fear of repeated patterns, holes, or textures—these AI-generated images can trigger even more severe distress. Sarkis notes that these visceral responses are evolutionary mechanisms designed to help humans avoid potential dangers like decay, disease, or parasites. When we see something biologically bizarre, our brains signal us to investigate for threats, but repeated exposure often intensifies the discomfort rather than resolving it.
While those with trypophobia may be more sensitive, Sarkis emphasizes that these “unnatural” images are inherently off-putting to most people. To manage the stress caused by these visuals, she suggests using grounding exercises, such as identifying three things you can hear, see, and touch. If the anxiety begins to interfere with daily life, she recommends consulting a mental health professional.
The backlash against these images aligns with broader public skepticism toward technology. A July YouGov poll revealed that 70% of adults believe technology companies hold excessive power, while an August 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that 55% of adults under 30 are more concerned than excited about the rise of AI.
Professional food photographer Emily Hawkes, who monitors these trends within a group chat of digital creatives, views the images as laughably fake. She argues that restaurant owners are making a mistake by assuming these generated visuals have appetite appeal. “There are things about the way that food looks in the world… there’s an innateness that you can feel in your bones,” Hawkes explained. She believes that customers crave authenticity and want to see images that accurately represent the meal they will be served. “When people see something that makes them actually hungry… it’s because they’re seeing something real. They’re seeing something that they can imagine themselves eating. I struggle to see a world where AI could ever really capture that.”
For businesses looking to avoid the costs of professional photography, Hawkes suggests more authentic alternatives, such as collaborating with student photographers in exchange for meals or utilizing DIY tutorials. She maintains that a simple, thoughtful photo taken with an iPhone is superior to AI-generated content because it depicts the actual food being prepared by the establishment.
For customers like Murphy, the issue goes beyond mere aesthetics; it is a matter of trust. He fears that if restaurants begin using AI to generate menus, they may eventually transition to using AI-generated recipes as well. “Suddenly we’re eating straight up horror slop,” he speculated, noting that the presence of AI imagery creates a lingering doubt about the quality and safety of the food being served. The report also notes that repeated textures that looked hyperrealistic, yet somehow aggressively fake at the same time, the sandwiches depicted on the screen above the countertop displayed food with strange. The report also notes that there’s still photos of their old menu, which features generic food photography and text describing the contents of each sandwich, on their Yelp review page. The report also notes that the internet is captivated, despite a seemingly innate aversion to these images. The report also notes that experts say there’s a reason why we can’t look away. The report also notes that trypophobia can be severely debilitating, while relatively rare. The report also notes that our brain goes, ‘We need to look at that and make sure it’s not bad.’ The problem is that if you look at it again, it doesn’t stop the reaction, it can actually intensify it,” Sarkis said. The report also notes that the best approach is to distract yourself, for immediate relief.
