How to Recognize an AI-Generated Cookbook
As I sit here, eating succulent dumplings prepared by a dedicated human chef, I wonder – am I lamenting? – on the role of artificial intelligence in the food industry. In particular, I’m thinking about one small but useful corner that AI is making inroads into: cookbooks. AI-generated recipes and cookbooks are by no means new, but they are more common than ever and do a better job of impersonating human authors than ever before. These AI cookbooks are clever, but they’re not perfect, and you’ll be able to decide if you really want to buy them. Luckily, there are a few warning signs to look out for.
By the way, the dumplings were from the East Wind Snack Shop. Chef and owner Chris Cheung wrote the cookbook ” Damn Good Chinese Food ” and it’s on sale here along with some other fantastic cookbooks:
An AI-generated cookbook in the wild
A recent post by Matthew Kupfer on X shows just how creepy AI cookbooks can be. It’s funny for the most part, but quickly becomes disturbing when you realize someone has used AI to create a bio and photo of the “author.”
Clearly, AI-generated recipes and cookbooks already exist. It’s okay – aside from the knowledge and work he’s silently gleaned from all the recipes on the internet – it is what it is. Even companies like Instacart have dipped their toes into the waters of artificial intelligence to create recipes, but at least they’re open about it. They also note that the recipes “may not be perfect” due to the nature of their creation. The AI recipes have not been tested, most likely not edited, and there is a chance that the dish will turn out somehow strange, but hopefully not inedible.
But the questionable quality of the recipe is only part of the problem. Cookbooks are more than just collections of recipes. These are years of hard work, mistakes, successes, incredible photos, experiences and stories. These stories are woven into recipes that share a person’s life. Perhaps I’m a little sensitive because I’m an aspiring cookbook author myself, but I’m worried about the imitation itself. Long prose of artificial human experience and false inspiration – sorry, but I lost my appetite.
Your AI shows
Since you can’t rely on the usual tricks—checking the author’s photo or searching only for hardcover books—you may have to dig a little deeper and trust your gut. Here are a few things to look for when checking out a cookbook.
Strange Coverage Claims
While the title may seem innocuous, like “The Complete Crock-Pot” in the X-post, the subtitle or other jokes and promises on the cover may be unhelpful. For example, the phrase “2000 days of easy and delicious recipes” sounds like an incredible number of days and seems to be missing a word.
Awkward phrases or repetitions
Speaking of missing words, this tip comes from our article on how to tell if you’re chatting with a bot , and it applies to cookbooks too. Of course, look out for grammatical errors, as well as weird robotic phrasing and repetition. As Jeff Somers points out in the aforementioned post, “Even the best conversational AI often has problems with the strange complexities and inconsistencies of language.”
If you feel that a sentence sounds wrong, for example: “This electric kitchen equipment is used for cooking, especially if you want to leave the cooking unsupervised for several hours,” you are not judging. This is not how most people describe cooking in a slow cooker.
Repetitive phrases are also a hallmark of AI writing. I deliberately change my vocabulary when I write because I know it’s boring to read the same words over and over again, but the AI doesn’t get bored. It becomes equal. Just kidding, the alternative wording is terrible. You won’t believe how many times the section “What is a slow cooker?” has the exact or almost identical wording “a slow cooker or slow cooker is a ceramic saucepan…” That’s a lot.
Publishers vs. Self-Publishing
Many AI-generated cookbooks are sold online and self-published. You can probably see why. At this point, most established publishing houses are interested in making deals with human authors. It’s a shame because there are many self-published authors who write great books, and big publishers can make it difficult to review even great books. However, in the case of cookbooks, look up what publisher they are from; if it’s listed as “self-published” or “independently published”, be careful.
Errors with key ingredients
If you can, take a close look at some of the recipes in the book. While the AI usually won’t make glaring measurement errors, such as suggesting two cups of salt, it may miss something. If a recipe is called “Chicken and Barley Salad with Fresh Herbs” and there are no herbs or barley in the ingredient list, you may be dealing with an AI cookbook. Likewise, if a cookbook claims to cater to specific diets, such as a low glycemic index cookbook or a vegan cookbook that was stolen by an AI, look for recipes that don’t follow the diet.
AI can hurt our human sensibilities when it imitates us, but it’s these types of mistakes that make untested and unedited recipes dangerous. A vegan will likely catch the butter or mozzarella called for in a recipe, but beginners following a low-glycemic index recipe may miss the starch error.
Tips for Successfully Buying a Cookbook
Don’t be fooled by the photo and biography of the author.
AI generates photos with terrifying ease. Here you’ll find tips on how to spot fake people in photos (two words: stray earrings). If you’re not sure, you can also search for the author. The AI ”authors” won’t have any history other than the cookbook, so you won’t have to do much research.
Check AI-generated reviews
AI reviews look suspiciously similar – almost word for word – and 20 or 30 reviews will be published on the same day or within a limited period of time. If you see this, the next step is to click on reviews with one or two stars. They’re probably people, and they’re probably telling you that the cookbook was created by artificial intelligence.
Shop at a bookstore
What? Brick bookstore . If you’re buying new, you can rest assured that bookshops like Warwick’s and Greenlight Bookstore buy from reputable publishers. If you’re buying a used car, then at least you can look through the book and carefully check for the warning signs mentioned above. Plus, you’ll be supporting a real bookstore, which is nice too.