'Dinosaur tartare' and holograms

Dubai Al chef sparks awe and ire

- MAHA LOUBARIS

A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world's "first AI chef", the latest ostentatious dive into new technology in a city obsessed with being on the cutting edge of the future.

The Emirati city has become increasingly known for its growing culinary scene, with thousands of restaurants on offer from luxurious Michelin-starred eateries to greasy spoons serving up bona fide street food from across the Middle East and Asia.

But at Woohoo, the brains behind the menu is not a person but an AI program — known as chef Aiman — trained on thousands of recipes and decades of culinary research and molecular gastronomy.

Chef Aiman can also optimise menus and balance flavours, according to the establishment.

The real work of preparing and serving the food, however, remains in human hands, for now.

"AI is going to create better dishes than humans maybe in the future," said the restaurant's Turkish co-founder Ahmet Oytun Cakir.

While Woohoo's menu is mostly comprised of international fusion dishes, some AI creations stand out.