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Can you imagine Idli\u2014soft, simple, and the most unassuming star of the breakfast plate\u2014as a nervous wreck? He is miserable. Sambar, once his perfect companion, is leaving him to marry Vada\u2014crisp, golden, and impossible to ignore, with far more swagger. Left on the edge of the plate, Idli can\u2019t help but wonder: when did simple stop being enough?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Social media platforms are flooded with such melodramas, as artificial intelligence (AI) content creators increasingly turn everyday food items into original fictional characters, giving them human-like personalities, emotions, and relationships, and weaving dramatic, over-the-top storylines around them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Such AI content<\/a> has emerged as a clever workaround to sidestep copyright and legal risks linked to known personalities\u2014and no real-world sentiments are bruised if Puri elopes with Naan against her father\u2019s wishes. These quirky tales are racking up to 20 million views, captivating audiences while keeping creators out of trouble\u2014unlike recent AI videos featuring historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi or Jalaluddin Akbar, living celebrities, or even Marvel\u2019s Hulk, which sparked copyright backlash.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lawyers agree that generic AI food videos help creators stay away from legal troubles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cFrom a legal standpoint, AI-generated food videos occupy a low-liability corner of a rapidly tightening ecosystem. The real legal exposure today lies in unauthorized use of human likeness and protected characters\u2014areas shaped by the Copyright Act and expanding recognition of personality rights where consent and ownership are key. Generic food imagery triggers neither,\u201d Nakul Gandhi, founding partner at NG Law Chambers, said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n AI food videos have exploded on Instagram, garnering views in millions. A video from @aiobjectstudio that has 66.7K followers shows foxnuts, cardamom, and jaggery-coated chickpeas talking about health benefits. It has 32.1 million views, 998,000 shares, 21,200 comments, and 61,7000 reshares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another one from @aifoodstory features a love story between rasmalai and green chili. It got 19.7 million views and 965,000 likes. A similar video from @genifyhappy shows a love triangle between sugar syrup and sweets in a courtroom drama. It has 32.5 million views and 1.5 million shares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n With such food-based videos, there is no identifiable rights holder, no moral rights claim, and no clear infringement hook, making it a frictionless category for creators. \u201cBut this regulatory comfort is conditional as India sharpens its approach to synthetic media through the new IT Rules<\/a>. The focus could widen from what is depicted to how it is disclosed, bringing even harmless AI content into the compliance fold,\u201d Gandhi cautioned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Creators partner with brands to earn up to \u20b9<\/span>10,000 for short-format videos (30-180 seconds). They generate these videos on AI platforms like Google\u2019s Nano Banana, Flow, Veo3 and Kling AI where they use AI credits worth up to \u20b9<\/span>500. AI credits are virtual tokens or units that platforms deduct for using AI features. This boost earning potential per video 20 times the investment. Brands are increasingly preferring them to influencer marketing as the quirky-animation format storytelling is both engaging and 30% cheaper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Take Animation Gyan, for instance. It’s an Instagram page operated by a Dehradun-based engineer that has been uploading food microdramas everyday since January 2025. This enginner, who requested anonymity, said he invests five hours a day after his regular job to create 60-second videos, but his audience demands more. \u201cThey are hooked to it as if it is a daily soap,\u201d he said. On a page with 1,00,000 followers, he garners up to 18.2 million views.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He cautions, however, that this may be a passing trend, likely to fade as the AI community moves to the next social media format<\/a>. He keeps a close watch on his account metrics to stay ahead of the curve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Marketing industry watchers note that this trend has sparked a wave of content as creators react to these quirky videos and imitate the characters. \u201cFood is a relatable topic for so many people, and the artwork of these characters in AI videos is fun and quirky\u2014just like the superhero AI videos from some time back,\u201d said Piyush Agarwal, co-founder of Mumbai-based social media agency Create.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, they reiterate that this is likely a short-lived phenomenon. \u201cIt sparks reaction videos from influencers, fueling more relatable content. I\u2019ve seen creators jump on it already, but it\u2019ll soon feel stale\u2014the trend will die out fast, as AI crazes always do, forcing creators to pivot to fresh ideas,” Agarwal said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n