Pervasive AI “slop,” or low-effort digital content produced en masse with the help of generative artificial intelligence, has infiltrated nearly every corner of the Internet and social media. That includes the places where we look for content about food.
Houston food blogger Eric Davis, who runs @ericeatshtx, pointed out on Monday a suspected AI foodie influencer on Instagram. Mia Nguyen, a self-billed Houston lifestyle account, started posting in early May. Nguyen’s Instagram is filled with gym shots, restaurant outings and fashion advice.
None of it looks or feels real.
The photos and videos look perfectly composed, but sometimes the videos slow down or hiccup. In one video, an SUV just appears in the background. There’s also little in the way of interaction, and all the captions read like cliches. Plus, just as a post begins, the “AI info” label shows at the top of the post before going away.
Nguyen’s account has not responded to Chron’s request for comment. As of Wednesday, several users in the comments had alleged the content was AI-generated.
AI shenanigans in Houston food’s social media spaces have been increasing of late. GenAI food photos are fairly common on food delivery apps like DoorDash and UberEats. You’ll occasionally see them on social media sites. In April, Fran’s Bakery co-owner Francis Uzcategui and marketing specialist Susana De Carlo told the Houston Chronicle they had been using AI to create photos. They reasoned it saved time and money for other things.
Elsewhere, AI has led to misinformation. Torchy’s Tacos had to defend itself after an AI illustration convinced people the restaurant chain had posted signs on its front doors demanding customers to tip their servers. The fake picture is still making the rounds as engagement bait on Facebook and Reddit.
If Nguyen is in fact an AI creation, it would be the second known AI-generated persona promoting Houston restaurants. In March, an AI persona of Houston real estate agent Paige Martin named “pAIge” mistakenly called Jax on the Tracks a new fine-dining destination in the Garden Oaks neighborhood. It’s created a sort of uncanny valley among folks in Houston’s food scene.
“Well for me it’s very scary to see in real life how easily people are influenced by social media without verifying sources,” said Esmerelda Obispo, a foodie influencer who runs @antojoshouston. “Following an AI food content creator is literally trusting a computer with where you’re going to eat. It doesn’t make sense.”
Most recently the Nguyen account has posted video from a trip to Whole Foods. It looks off. The account follows more than 300 different restaurants, (real) foodie influencers and journalists across town. I suppose the real smoking gun that hints Nguyen is an AI account?
It doesn’t follow Chron or me at all.