This past March, Google rolled out its AI Mode search capability, introducing AI-generated recipes that have drawn criticism from food bloggers and culinary experts alike. Early iterations of the AI-generated recipes often failed to provide coherent instructions, leading to bizarre suggestions such as cooking with non-toxic glue, an error stemming from the AI’s inability to differentiate between legitimate sources and satirical content.
Over recent years, many food bloggers who have kept their sites accessible have found their original recipes reappearing, often without attribution, in responses generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. These replications tend to be simplified versions of their meticulously crafted recipes, now featured in AI-generated cookbooks sold on platforms like Etsy. Meanwhile, their original photos and videos are being used in social media posts that link back to these AI-generated compilations.
Legal protections for recipe creators are weak; recipes themselves are generally not copyrightable, leaving bloggers vulnerable to having their work misappropriated. Although copyright protects the particular wording of a recipe, the basic instructions fall outside its purview. Many food bloggers, who traditionally monetize their work through ads, are now concerned that users turning to search engines will conflate their offerings with inferior AI-generated content, leading to a decline in audience trust.
“There are a lot of people that are scared to even talk about what’s going on because it is their livelihood,” says Jim Delmage, who, along with his wife, Tara, operates the blog and YouTube channel Sip and Feast. Matt Rodbard, founder and editor-in-chief of taste.com, believes the situation is dire, stating, “For websites that depend on the advertising model, I think this is an extinction event in many ways.”
This year’s holiday season, typically lucrative for food bloggers, has not met expectations. Carrie Forrest of Clean Eating Kitchen reported an 80% drop in traffic over the past two years. Others, like Delmage and Karen Tedesco of Familystyle Food, have seen stable numbers, attributing their resilience to fostering a loyal following rather than focusing solely on search engine optimization.
Tedesco emphasizes the importance of her culinary expertise in creating recipes. Her Italian meatball recipe, for example, includes specific details about meat selection and the role of milk-soaked breadcrumbs for optimal texture. However, she remains concerned about AI’s influence on her visibility. After searching for “Italian meatballs,” she discovered her recipe had been synthesized by Google’s AI Mode into a generic version that stripped away the distinctive elements.
“I don’t think many people are actually clicking on the source links,” Tedesco notes, reflecting a growing issue where users are increasingly reliant on AI-generated results. Adam Gallagher of Inspired Taste voiced similar concerns, observing that while the visibility of his site has risen, actual traffic has declined, indicating that many users prefer the convenience of AI interpretations over the original content.
After Gallagher and his wife raised awareness on social media, several readers admitted they were unaware of the differences between their blog’s recipes and the AI-generated versions. This trend may be attributed to Google’s streamlined interface, which appeals to users who favor a clean and uncluttered design.
Rodbard acknowledges that many food blogs have become cluttered with ads, further complicating the issue. He states, “Ad tech on these recipe blogs has gotten so bad, so many pop-up windows and so much crashing, we kind of lost as publishers.” Tom Critchlow, EVP of audience growth at Raptive, highlighted that it is not ads driving away visitors but Google’s algorithm changes and the introduction of AI Mode that make sites harder to discover.
Despite these challenges, a recent survey found that as users interact more with AI, their trust in AI-generated content diminishes. Nearly half of the respondents rated AI content as less trustworthy than human-created content, suggesting a potential shift in consumer behavior. This growing skepticism could bode well for food bloggers.
In response to the changing landscape, many bloggers are contemplating subscription models, though figures like Tedesco express concern over the feasibility of such a transition. “If I were to give up my website or even try to go over to Substack, I would be broke,” she said.
Rodbard proposes a resurgence of traditional cookbooks, which offer a tactile experience and tested recipes. According to market research firm Circana, sales of baking cookbooks are up 80% this year. However, AI systems have also drawn from published cookbooks, raising ethical concerns about content originality.
As awareness grows regarding AI-generated content, Critchlow believes users will increasingly value recipes vetted by trusted sources. “People will ultimately place a higher premium on being able to know that these recipes have been tested and made by somebody that I follow or somebody I respect,” he said. For now, food bloggers continue to navigate this turbulent landscape, adapting to a world where the impact of AI on their craft remains uncertain.
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