Near Birmingham, Alabama, People Inc., a major digital and print publishing company behind brands such as Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Allrecipes, is emphasizing human expertise in food content amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). At the company’s expansive 40,000-square-foot test kitchen complex, culinary professionals develop, test, and retest thousands of recipes annually, highlighting a commitment to quality that company leaders view as a key differentiator in an era of AI-generated content.

The test kitchen hub, originally established by Time Inc. in 2016 and now operated under People Inc. — which rebranded from Dotdash Meredith in 2025 — is central to the publisher’s strategy to maintain high editorial standards as AI technologies begin to dominate online content. People Inc. produces some 1,800 new recipes and tests an additional 5,300 each year across 28 kitchens, complemented by extensive prop and style resources, as well as a culinary lab that has evaluated more than 3,000 kitchen appliances.

Neil Vogel, chief executive of People Inc., describes the kitchen as the company’s “secret weapon” against the proliferation of incoherent AI-generated recipes, which he said often fail in practice. Vogel pointed out the challenges of AI in food, noting that algorithm-driven recipe synthesis frequently results in illogical or unworkable instructions. He cited an example of AI suggesting glue as a pizza topping, underscoring the shortcomings of current automated culinary advice.

The company, which witnessed a sharp decline in traffic from traditional search engines such as Google—from 75 percent to 25 percent in four years due to AI-powered search features—has shifted focus to social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Apple News. People Inc. is also diversifying revenue through events, sponsorships, and licensing. This includes its recent acquisition of Hot Luck, an annual food and music festival held in Austin, Texas.

Within the test kitchen, content creation has evolved beyond print to producing approximately 175 social media videos monthly, supported by dedicated photo and video studios. This push toward multimedia is aimed at engaging audiences directly amid changes in how people access food content online.

Southern Living editor in chief Sid Evans emphasized the irreplaceable value of human senses and experience, noting that AI cannot replicate the understanding of taste, aroma, or the emotional connection tied to nostalgic recipes. The publication is digitizing its extensive recipe archive, including more than 20,000 previously unpublished entries, to provide authentic, tested culinary content online.

While People Inc. embraces AI tools for operational efficiencies—such as monitoring social media trends and pricing ingredients—Vogel confirmed the company does not rely on AI for creative tasks like recipe writing, editing, or food styling. “People are the only really valid, honorable and positive endeavor that People Inc. can take,” said Barry Diller, chairman of People Incorporated, the company’s parent entity, reflecting a deliberate commitment to human-led content in the AI age.

Despite these human-centric initiatives, the company has reduced its workforce by nearly 1,000 employees since 2021, partly due to consolidations in print offerings. Nonetheless, People Inc. reports profitability and continuous digital revenue growth, with executives observing that consumers increasingly value verified, expert-developed content.

An example cited by Food & Wine’s editor in chief, Hunter Lewis, highlights this trust. A recently posted recipe photo of a Japanese meat-and-potato stew, nikujaga, attracted comments accusing it of being AI-generated. Lewis responded by detailing the human efforts behind the recipe’s creation, viewing the skepticism not as criticism but as a sign that audiences recognize and expect high-quality, carefully crafted food journalism beyond what AI can provide.