CHICAGO — Before I was a food critic for the Chicago Tribune, I spent 15 years writing, cooking and, most importantly, eating as much as I could. To review a restaurant these days, I visit multiple times, read any books that might be helpful, and spend hours crafting a review that is both helpful and, hopefully, engaging to read.
But what if I could plug a few sentences into a chatbot that would spit out reviews for me in a matter of seconds?
When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November, it almost immediately led to discussions that were nearly unthinkable a few years before. Is this a new tool to help cheat on homework, a product that will unleash a dystopian future of mass unemployment or nothing more than a distracting toy?
Wondering if I needed to quickly switch careers, I decided to see how ChatGPT would do as a Chicago Tribune food critic for the afternoon.
Artificial intelligence isn’t a new concept, but in the past year, concerns have sprouted over whether it’s ethical for bots such as Lensa AI and Midjourney to use artists’ copyrighted works to generate imitations and charge users for the “stolen” art. There are also concerns over the accuracy of the generative AI knowledge, which can’t always distinguish between fact and fiction.
While I’m definitely not a programmer with the ability to really explain why ChatGPT stands apart from its predecessors, here’s what I could figure out: The GPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer,” and the generative, reinforcement learning means the AI is supposed to improve the accuracy of its responses as it chats with humans.
Although I may not understand it, ChatGPT is a breeze to use. Simply type in a question and it’ll spit out an answer. All you need to do is log in and hope the system isn’t too busy. (Considering how much attention the program has gotten, it’s down an awful lot.)
So how did it do? To state the obvious, no artificial intelligence can dine out, a fact ChatGPT is honest about. When I asked if it had ever been to Alinea, a restaurant I knew would have loads written about it online, ChatGPT wrote back: “As an AI, I do not have physical presence and therefore I haven’t been to any physical location, including Alinea.”
But it did go on to give some general facts about the restaurant, including that it was a “three-Michelin starred restaurant in Chicago, Illinois,” and is “known for its avant-garde approach to modernist cuisine, which uses techniques such as molecular gastronomy and multicourse, tasting-menu format.”
But when I asked it to write a restaurant review of Alinea, it didn’t hesitate:
“Alinea is a truly unique dining experience. The food is meticulously crafted and visually stunning, with an emphasis on creativity and innovation. The flavors are bold and complex, and the dishes are expertly paired with a wide selection of wines. The service is impeccable, with attentive and knowledgeable staff who are happy to explain the dishes and the techniques used to prepare them. The atmosphere is elegant and intimate, making it the perfect spot for a special occasion. Overall, Alinea is a must-visit for anyone interested in cutting-edge culinary experiences.”
While basically coherent, and not too far off from some Yelp reviews, you may have noticed an almost complete lack of specifics. Replace the restaurant’s name and the “review” could apply to any number of fine-dining restaurants in Chicago.
ChatGPT can get more specific, but I found it also became less accurate. When I asked it to write a detailed restaurant review of Alinea, mentioning every single course, it started spitting out names of dishes I don’t think ever appeared on the restaurant’s menu. ChatGPT also only pulls information from a “data set of texts that goes up to 2021,” so at this moment, it won’t help with any new restaurants.
Where things get far more enjoyable is when you ask the program to write a restaurant review in the style of a famous author. Ever wondered what it would sound like if William Shakespeare wrote a review of Alinea?
"Ah, sweet Alinea, how doth thy flavors please
Thy dishes, a symphony of taste and ease
From appetizers to desserts, all artfully made
Each morsel, a feast for the eyes and the palate
…
But alas, dear Alinea, thy prices do soar
For but a select few, thy doors do open
But for those who can afford, thy feast doth reward
For memories, and tastes, that shall never be forgotten."
This led me down a rabbit hole of asking ChatGPT to write reviews of Alinea like other famous authors, including Jane Austen and Dante Alighieri. My favorite was this negative review in the style of Friedrich Nietzsche:
“It is with great disappointment and disgust that I write this review of the so-called ‘fine dining’ establishment known as Alinea. The pretentiousness and self-aggrandizement of this restaurant is a testament to the decline of modern society and the celebration of mediocrity.”
While good fun, I feel like my critic job is safe for now.
But where ChatGPT might truly shake up the food writing world is with curating lists of places to eat, a topic brought up recently by Michael Gebert on Fooditor. Other publications have already given this a go, including the Houston Chronicle.
When I asked ChatGPT where to find the best hot dog in Chicago, it kicked out a solid list featuring Portillo’s, Superdawg Drive-In, The Wiener’s Circle and Gene & Jude’s. But it certainly wasn’t perfect, considering it included Hot Doug’s, even if it noted in the write-up that the restaurant was “now closed.” It seems likely that ChatGPT will only get better at sorting through the internet to give recommendations.
This leads to all sorts of ethical questions, like where ChatGPT is getting its information from, and whether OpenAI should pay for it. And what happens if restaurants are able to pay for the program to recommend them more?
All I know is that this probably won’t be the last we hear about artificial intelligence in the food world.
