I attended a workshop about the impact of AI on the Food World. Here’s What We Discussed
Last month, I headed down to San Luis Obispo to participate in a National Science Foundation-funded project analyzing the impact of automation and AI on the food system. I was invited to participate in a workshop led by Patrick Lin and Ryan Jenkins, professors at Cal Poly and project leaders.
The workshop was the first of a four-year project exploring the social and ethical implications of automation and artificial intelligence in kitchens. This project attempts to reveal the various implications of this technology, examining both the impact on commercial spaces such as restaurants and how automation may affect the long-standing tradition of home cooking and family meals.
“This project will help reveal the hidden and far-reaching implications of technology,” said Lin when the project was announced. “With the trend of robotic kitchens emerging under the radar, there is still time for technological and policy interventions to maximize benefits and minimize harm and disruption.”
The two-day workshop included a cross-section of academics, chefs and food service professionals, journalists, and technical experts. It was the first of three workshops across continents to gather insights and work on producing a report and educational curriculum focused on the intersection of food and automation and AI.
The workshop, structured as a large whiteboard session, included expert presentations and light discussions. During and after each presentation, participants shared their thoughts on the potential impacts – both direct and spillover effects – that could result from the introduction of AI in its various forms over time. While much of the discussion focused on AI in the form of automation – namely, cooking robots – AI in other forms, such as generative AI, was also discussed.
Below are some of the key themes discussed over the course of the two days, along with a few of my thoughts now that I’ve had time to think about the issues since the workshop.
I would also love to hear your thoughts on this sensitive topic, so please send them to me!
Finally, we will be discussing many of these same issues at the Food AI Summit on October 25. If this is a critical issue for you and your company, be sure to join us!
Atrophying Cooking Skills
One of the concerns raised during the meeting was the potential loss of cooking skills and knowledge as we rely more on automation and AI to make our food. Although it was generally recognized that robots could take over repetitive and boring cooking tasks, some wondered if handing over the cooking process to machines would lead to a general loss of cooking skills and the combination of food produced by automated cooking.
It’s easy to see how automatic food preparation will become popular; others would hand over the entire process to a machine. However, there’s a good chance that offering common cooking components can give home cooks, chefs, or food service workers more time to focus on creating the special touches that often make food great. As we have seen with the invention of digital design and art tools, there is a possibility that those who love to create food can use technology to take their work to the next level.
Losing Time Together
Another concern raised throughout the two days was the impact on family time by handing over food preparation and cooking to robots. Parents and other caregivers often use time in the kitchen to share lessons to help children develop motor skills, understand their heritage and develop self-esteem. Automatic cooking can interfere with this transfer of information. Cooking has also shown many positive mental health benefits for those involved.
I think this is a valid concern, as there is a real risk of losing some of the benefits of the shared cooking process due to automation. After all, there is no substitute for a grandchild spending time with her grandmother learning to make her special cookies and sharing the family history that comes with such an activity.
However, there are a few counterpoints. First of all, no one says that the act of making that special recipe by hand should be a victim of technology, and, somehow, I think that the kitchen will appear to be one of the places where some families will insist on preserving the art and the act of doing real cooking themselves.
And as the world becomes more digital and automated, kitchens can become a haven for many who find the nature of cooking therapeutic and satisfying. In other words, the kitchen may be the true ‘last place’ left in our homes, and many will look to protect and preserve that.
Finally, average meal times decreased by 5% between 2006 and 2014, a much smaller decline than we’ve seen in meal preparation times since the emergence of ready-to-eat food has become more popular over the past few decades. While making it yourself may result in a quick meal, people can spend just as much time — or maybe more — sitting at the dinner table.
Loss of Authenticity, Art, and Happy Accidents
With AI, there is a chance that the recipe creation algorithms may rely heavily on existing data patterns and therefore lack originality. There were also concerns that AI systems could reduce the potential for automation and the kind of “happy accidents” that often lead to innovation. Another workshop participant gave an example of mistakes that lead to important new dishes, such as the croissant.
There have also been concerns that using AI to produce food programs or recipes could lead to standardization and homogenization, especially if AI programs rely too little on popular recipes, which could also reduce culinary diversity.
A valid concern is that AI systems will generalize based on limited data sets, often creating recipes or meal plans based on popular or trending food concepts. Anyone who listens to algorithm-generated playlists by Spotify or Pandora can attest to some off-the-note song recommendations, and I can see how that can be the case with food and recipe making. However, good technology products allow people to reject recommendations and fine-tune algorithms, which may allow for personalized recommendations based on a particular user’s preferences.
There is also a real possibility that AI can lead to new and interesting food combinations. Chef Watson and other AIs have been able to create unexpected but interesting recipes based on intelligence built into algorithms around flavor combinations. If a restaurant or home chef can use previously inaccessible deep knowledge based on scientific research and taste built into AI systems to create their next masterpiece, the results can be delicious.
In terms of the impact on cultural differences, I think it’s important to note that AI systems are known to have bias issues, often becoming too close to their creators’ worldviews and preferred data sets. Because the food world is one of the most important ways for underrepresented voices to connect with a wider audience, it will be critical for us to be aware of the loss of accessibility and equity in the food world as AI tools and automation become commonplace.
However, food AIs can be built to emphasize unique and emerging food cultures, which would be a smart move as millennials and younger generations celebrate the discovery of new foods, often from cultures outside their home markets. Also, many innovators in food automation technology often come from markets outside of ours, emphasizing different types of food than our usual fare.
These are some of the topics discussed during the workshop. Other themes, such as job losses and the economic impact of automation, were also discussed in detail, and I will have more thoughts on that later this week.
