The New York Times adds AI recipe modification, testing what Cooking subscribers pay for
A paid recipe product now generates substitutions inside the publisher’s own subscriber interface.
The New York Times has begun giving iOS Cooking subscribers an AI tool that adapts editorial recipes for substitutions, after earlier tools converted measurements and serving sizes. Cooking editors spent “countless hours” testing outputs against Times standards, but Nieman Lab found 77% of 159 non-staff comments on the announcement were negative, with some readers saying they subscribed for human-authored guidance. By generating variants inside the subscription, the publisher can extend the utility of its recipe catalogue while testing whether automation weakens the editorial distinction supporting the customer relationship.