New York Times adds more AI features to its Cooking app. Users aren't thrilled

New York Times has introduced additional AI capabilities to its popular Cooking app, a move not welcomed by all users. Senior editor and columnist Genevieve Ko expressed her naive assumption that AI wouldn't impact her role, but the company saw potential in enhancing user experience by providing recipe modifications and ingredient substitutions. The new tool is currently available to Cooking subscribers on the iOS app, with plans to expand its availability further.

Cooking veterans have faced challenges when substituting ingredients in recipes. The AI feature aims to address such concerns by offering suitable replacements, like converting spinach to chard in a recipe. NYT Cooking staff spent considerable time evaluating AI-generated responses, striving to align them closely with culinary expertise.

Ko sought to address various objections, such as data center impact, AI company concentration, and the risk of AI control. The feature is designed to bring a tactile cooking experience and result in a human-created meal.

The reception to the AI feature has been largely negative. Roughly 77% of 171 reader comments were critical, while 14% were positive and the rest neutral or mixed. Many commenters argued that AI shouldn't be necessary for cooking and expressed concerns about its environmental impact and the value of paying for NYT Cooking. Some even called for an option to disable the feature, acknowledging that cooking should present challenges that people can overcome independently.

Overall, the introduction of AI into the NYT Cooking app has sparked controversy among users, with the majority disapproving of the move.