‘WAIT THIS IS GENIUS’: Customer says she FaceTunes her food to look burnt so she can have new order delivered for free

TikToker Meeb (@shlimeslatterson) has stirred the TikTok pot with a video that's not just a viral hit crossing over 700,000 views, but also a cheeky commentary on the ethics of digital manipulation. The video showcases Meeb's faux attempt at gaming the online food delivery system by using AI to alter the appearance of food for a refund on Uber Eats. 

Meeb's video opens with a text overlay, "Me wondering how I gained weight when I literally FaceTuned my food so I could get a refund and use it to get more food."

She then shows a timelapse of her editing an almond pastry to appear burnt by adding effects that make it look darker. Meeb throws her edited picture into the Uber Eats app to claim the food was overcooked, all in pursuit of... more food. While it's a creative life hack, the ethics are a little murky.

The top commenter, in disbelief, exclaimed, "THERES NO WAY," to which Meeb playfully responded, "I DID NOT ACTUALLY SUBMIT IT."

But this didn’t stop other users from marveling at the idea or confessing their own AI-assisted antics. One user admitted, "I use a Google burger to say I got the wrong order sometimes." While another was floored, “WAIT THIS IS GENIUS."

It turns out that sending fake or doctored photographs to food delivery applications to get a refund is a method that other TikTok users have engaged in as well. One person said, "I’ve fully done this w CFA back in my broke days." Someone else found relief in Meeb's confession: "I’m glad I wasn’t the only one doing this."

While Meeb's video is all in good fun, it highlights a broader and more serious conversation about AI's role in our lives. The ethical implications of AI manipulation are vast and varied, from the lightheartedness of a doctored food photo to more grave matters like allegations of altered photos in war zones or AI flubs in celebrity images.

@shlimeslatterson life hack ???? #ubereats #lifehack #relatable #comedy #collegecore #collegestudent ♬ original sound - TOONKA

Colleges are already deploying AI content detection tools to combat academic dishonesty, a sign of how AI's influence is seeping into a myriad of situations in society. Similarly, food delivery apps like Uber Eats might soon find themselves needing to distinguish between real and AI-altered images of food to prevent fraudulent refund claims.

Meeb's TikTok video, while more of an SNL skit than real-life, does open a window into the increasingly blurred lines between reality and AI-enhanced representations. As we laugh at the cleverness of "FaceTuning" food, it's also a moment to consider the implications of AI's growing presence in our daily decisions and ethical dilemmas. Whether it's ordering food or submitting an assignment, the AI revolution is here, and it's changing the way we navigate our world—one FaceTuned almond pastry at a time.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Meeb via TikTok comment for further information. 

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