AI-generated recipes are overwhelming social media platforms, particularly Facebook, with content that often features unrealistic images and potentially dangerous cooking instructions. As Ali Domrongchai writes for Defector, these AI recipes can be identified by their odd visual details and incomplete cooking directions.
The issue came to Domrongchai’s attention when her grandfather shared an AI-generated tiramisu cupcake recipe that had garnered thousands of interactions. Upon investigation, she discovered entire pages dedicated to publishing up to a dozen AI-generated recipes daily, many receiving substantial engagement from both real users and suspected bot accounts.
These AI recipes frequently lack essential details like proper cooking temperatures—a serious food safety concern. In one notable example following Google AI Overview’s rollout, the system incorrectly stated that chicken should be cooked to 102°F rather than the safe 165°F minimum.
The proliferation of these AI recipe pages appears driven by profit motives. Online tutorials now teach people how to create fake Facebook pages and food blogs using AI-generated content to earn passive income through advertising. These operations prioritize generating clicks over providing functional recipes, with creators often not testing or verifying the content they publish.
While currently identifiable by discerning users, AI-generated food content is becoming increasingly sophisticated. This trend represents part of a broader issue where artificial content is becoming harder to distinguish from human-created work, potentially disconnecting cooking—a fundamentally human activity—from its cultural significance and community value.