CNE food posters in Toronto sparking debate over alleged use of AI

Toronto's annual end-of-summer tradition, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), officially kicked off on Friday, bringing its familiar lineup of rides, attractions, and, of course, plenty of over-the-top food concoctions.

This week, we got a closer look at some of the wackiest foods on the menu this year, from Kraft Dinner smoothies and smash burger dumplings to edible dirty soda spheres, and my personal favourite: s'mores deep-fried pizza.

Although the unconventional food combinations have received most of the attention, some eagle-eyed social media users have fixated on the number of food posters and menus that were seemingly generated by AI this year.

"Interesting to see the amount of AI food art and graphics in CNE," one person pointed out on Reddit.

blogTO shared several of the menus that appeared to feature AI-generated imagery in a TikTok, and the response was decidedly mixed. While some questioned why vendors would turn to AI to assist in the making of their promotional materials, others argued that small businesses shouldn't be criticized for using a cheaper (and more readily available) tool to boost sales.

@blogto AI menus have taken over the CNE #toronto #ontario #cne #ai #theex ♬ By My Side (Stolen Dance) - southstar & Milky Chance

"Society is so bored that they judge a business for their poster. What if they can't afford to hire an artist for a menu?" one of the top comments under blogTO's video reads.

Others, however, vowed that they wouldn't be supporting vendors that use AI-generated advertising.

"I'm not buying a single food from a stand with an AI poster. I didn't at the street festivals, I won't at the CNE," one person wrote under the video.

"Graphic designers have always been underrated, and AI is just making it 10x worse," another user added.

Still, not everyone seemed to be bothered by the apparent use of AI. "Don't mind at all," one comment reads. "Some of the actual food presented looks exactly like the pictures."

Over the past few years, many other local festivals and organizations have faced similar criticism over their alleged use of AI to create promotional flyers and images.

Toronto festival Winterista, the Nathan Phillips Square Farmers' Market, the Distillery District, and The Town of York Historical Society have all faced backlash for using AI-generated content to create products and advertising materials.