"Boss, My Chicken Was Undercooked": Delivery Apps and Small Business Owners Struggle With AI-Generated Fake Photos Used for Refunds

Uploading AI-Generated Photos to Get Delivery Refunds
Abusing Photo-Based Refund Policies

The inside of a bite-taken delivery chicken appears red. At first glance, it looks like a photo of undercooked food, but it is actually an image created using artificial intelligence (AI), not a real photo of improper cooking. Recently, in the delivery app industry, cases where users generate food defect images using generative AI to demand refunds or order cancellations have emerged as a new headache.

AI-generated image of undercooked chicken. ChatGPT

On June 17, the Herald Economy reported that major delivery platforms such as Baemin and Coupang Eats are suffering from malicious manipulated reviews, where refunds are obtained by altering photos using AI. Both the platforms and store owners are being affected by this issue.

For major delivery platforms, when there is a report of food quality issues or foreign substances, they review evidence such as photos submitted by the user to determine whether to issue a refund. In particular, Baemin is known to process refunds through a process where, if a customer requests an order cancellation due to food quality, supporting materials like photos are verified and the store's consent is obtained before proceeding. The problem is that although both major platforms are responding to refund requests based on AI-manipulated photos, they have not yet established a system that can perfectly distinguish AI-generated images.

The refund process on delivery platforms heavily relies on a single photo taken by the consumer. While a prompt refund is necessary for consumer protection when the food is spoiled or contains foreign substances, on the other hand, if a malicious user manipulates a photo of normal food using AI and submits it, the store owner may suffer unjust losses. The Asia Business Daily

A New Trick That Hurts Small Business Owners

The refund process on delivery platforms heavily relies on a single photo taken by the consumer. While a prompt refund is necessary to protect consumers when the food is spoiled or contains foreign substances, on the other hand, if a malicious user manipulates a photo of normal food using AI and submits it, the store owner may suffer unjust losses. In particular, even if a franchisee does not admit fault, the platform may still provide compensation in the form of points or direct loss reimbursement to the customer as part of its customer service process. In such cases, it has been pointed out that the burden of disputes may repeatedly fall between store owners and the platform.

Similar complaints have already been raised by small business owners in online communities. Typical responses include, "These days, even photos can't be trusted," "Perfectly fine food comes back looking like it's moldy," and "Consumer protection is important, but the store owners end up shouldering all the malicious complaints." Some users have pointed out, "Such behavior causes even normal consumers to be suspected," and "Because of the abuse by a few, the refund process will become more complicated for everyone," emphasizing the need for strong measures against black consumers.

Both Store Owners and Platforms Struggle to Respond

The challenge facing the delivery app industry lies in technological limitations. Baemin is currently using AI technology to filter out some forms of review manipulation and abuse, but there is still no dedicated system in place to clearly detect food photos that have been generated or edited with AI.

An image of jjambbong created using AI, containing hair. ChatGPT

As a result, fraudulent activities such as order cancellations or refund requests using AI-generated photos can only be monitored on a case-by-case basis. Major delivery platforms such as Baemin and Coupang Eats are considering measures such as usage restrictions, permanent bans, and legal action when fraudulent activity is identified. However, as the quality of generative AI images rapidly improves, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine authenticity with the naked eye alone.

An industry official explained, "At present, there are limited technical means to perfectly detect AI-generated photos. Some generative AI images can be identified through metadata or embedded information, but if this information is deleted or cropped out before submission, it becomes very difficult to detect." The official continued, "Fake reviews and fraudulent refund attempts harm both honest consumers and store owners. We will continue to strengthen regular monitoring and take both usage restrictions and legal action against repeat malicious users to maintain trust in the review ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.