NYT Cooking App Tests AI Feature for Recipe Modifications, Drawing User Pushback

The New York Times is testing an AI-powered feature in its Cooking app that allows users to modify recipes in real time, the company announced in October 2026. The tool, introduced by NYT Cooking senior editor Genevieve Ko, can suggest ingredient and equipment substitutions, scale recipes to any number of servings, and adapt instructions to suit what a cook has available at a given moment.

The feature adds a chatbot text box at the bottom of recipe screens. Users must agree to terms and conditions before accessing it. As one example, the app can advise a user swapping baby spinach for kale to add the spinach at a later cooking step, since it wilts faster. Customized recipes are kept private and cannot be published or shared through the app.

The rollout is gradual. As of late October 2026, the feature is available to all Cooking subscribers on iOS, with broader availability described as coming “soon.” The NYT says it is monitoring the tool’s performance during this period.

The announcement drew criticism in the article’s comment section, with some users raising concerns about the environmental impact of AI adoption and its effect on the app’s user experience. When asked whether the feature could be disabled, Ko said it could not, while noting it is “completely optional to use.” Comments on the announcement post were later closed, which NYT spokesperson Jordan Cohen described as standard practice for older articles.

This is not the NYT Cooking app’s first use of AI. Ko noted the technology was previously used to convert imperial volume measurements to metric weight measurements two years ago, and a feature to halve or double serving sizes was added last year.

The new tool’s mixed reception suggests that AI integrations in consumer apps — even optional ones — may prompt meaningful user debate around both environmental concerns and changes to established product experiences.