When AI blends into the restaurant world

AI is transforming professional kitchens, but right now, it lacks the perception that humans bring to cooking and service

- Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

A cook-off between artificial intelligence (AI) and a two-Michelin-starred Valencian chef drew the biggest crowd at last month's San Sebastian Gastronomika culinary event in Spain. The auditorium packed up to the point that many attendees had to stand in the aisles and passageways. On one side was chef Ricard Camarena and on the other, a team led by physicist Eneko Axpe. The challenge: create dishes using ingredients suggested by the audience.

While Camarena harnessed his knowledge, Axpe used AI-generated recipes. A jury evaluated the food without knowing who had prepared each dish. While Camarena's starter and main course were lauded for their flavour and composition, the AI-generated dishes, though technically impressive, lacked soul. The desserts ended in a draw, showcasing the immense potential of AI in the culinary world.

It's a contest that the food industry around the world is still talking about. Thomas Zacharias, founder of The Locavore, a platform championing local food in India, believes this kind of collaboration holds promise. "AI allows us to explore flavour combinations, textures and ingredients that we might not traditionally consider. It can become a powerful tool for experimentation, leading to new possibilities in gastronomy," he says.

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