What do kiwi and oysters sound like? People use artificial intelligence to come up with new culinary creations | CBC Radio (2024)

Philip Drost · CBC-radio

· Posted: May 20, 2024 at 4:00 AM EDT | Last updated: May 20

Larry McCabe was eager to test the digital palette of artificial intelligence. So he pitted AI against real chefs.

The question was simple enough. He asked ChatGPT to come up with unique canapé and co*cktail combinations. He asked the same thing of his staff at Cafe Bouffon in Stratford, Ont.

The French eatery then held a tasting, leaving people in the dark as to who came up with what.

"We wanted to do something provocative, and the question was, 'Will our next master chef come from artificial intelligence? Or is taste a uniquely human phenomenon?'" McCabe said.The currentwas Matt Galloway.

McCabe is one of many people in the food and beverage industry experimenting with AI-based technology, such as ChatGPT, to create new recipes, from new food combinations to unique concoctions. But people in the industry say artificial intelligence is no replacement for those who prepare food and drinks.

Instead, they say it's a way to get the creative juices flowing and help busy chefs, brewmasters and coffee roasters. And the use ofnew technology is something restaurant owners are hungry for.

In McCabe's tasting, mainly man-made combinations won. But there was one pairing where the AI ​​came out on top.

AI's beet poached eggs with yolk mousse and dill topping of the chef's beet carpaccio with goat cheese mousse.

It saves time, restaurateurs say

Isaiah Archer asked ChatGPT early last year to brew a new beer for Whistle Buoy Brewing as a marketing gimmick. The plan was to capitalize on people's fascination with artificial intelligence, but it became Robo Beer Hazy Pale Ale.

“I don't want to say this is better than what we could do because I don't think that's true,” Archer said.

“But it was interesting to see how quickly you could come up with something that made sense.”

Archer, partner and marketing director at Whistle Buoy Brewing in Victoria, says they were already planning to brew a new hazy pale ale recipe. But now that ChatGPT was in the news, they thought they would give AI a chance.

“We said, 'Make a recipe for a hazy pale ale — light, airy, tropical,'” Archer said.

"Maybe 10 or 15 seconds later there was a full recipe and then full brewing instructions in front of us. So just the speed at which it could do that was quite alarming."

It wasn't perfect. Some of the numbers were wrong, Archer said. But the brewmaster could tinker with the recipe to make it work.

Archer says they haven't used AI in their recipes since brewing Robo Beer. And while Whistle Buoy's approach was primarily a marketing effort, some business owners are turning to artificial intelligence to make their businesses more efficient.

McCabe says the restaurant used artificial intelligence to generate ideas when changing the menu. He says they change it two or three times a year and that gives them a starting point.

Chefs are busy, he says, so having a place to start can save valuable time.

"We used it as a tool to generate a lot of ideas and then narrow it down to things that were worth pursuing. And I think that was actually very effective," McCabe said.

SEE | How restaurants use technology:

Changing industry

The food and beverage industry around the world is experimenting with artificial intelligence. In Finland, Kaffa Roastery launched a coffee blend developed by artificial intelligence called AI-conic.

Chains like Domino's, White Castle and McDonald's have experimented with technology like automated pizza machines, burger flippers and deep fryers.

FoodPairing is a technology company that uses artificial intelligence to help the industry develop unique flavor combinations. For example, it combined kiwi and oysters together.

While they may seem like an odd combination, company co-founder Bernard Lahousse says the AI-derived idea works.

FoodPairing comes up with all kinds of unique combinations, such as strawberries and ketchup, coffee powder in pumpkin soup and green beans with hazelnuts, by analyzing the food data uploaded into the system.

But Lahousse says it's still not widely accepted. Chefs in France, a country with rich culinary traditions, have resisted the use of artificial intelligence in cooking, Lahousse said, while chefs in other countries appear more open to it. Younger chefs also seem more willing to use AI in their work, he added.

“The AI ​​can offer you solutions. It is still up to you to decide which of the solutions you want to take,” said Lahousse.

According to Archer, not everyone is ready for Robo Beer.

"There were a few people who said, 'I usually like you guys, but this is a step too far.' Like, 'You really shouldn't be putting people's jobs at risk,'" Archer said.

Archer says these are reasonable concerns, and people shouldn't expect Whistle Buoy Brewing to use ChatGPT for its brews. Without a human brewmaster, Robo Beer wouldn't have been very good, he added.

“It's that authentic human connection that makes what we do special,” Archer says.

McCabe felt the same for Cafe Bouffon.

“[AI] can't taste the food. And it's really the human touch that ultimately makes the difference between a great restaurant and just a good restaurant,” McCabe said.

He doesn't think this means there is no need for artificial intelligence in the kitchen. He says it can be used as a tool to make what they do more efficient or to save money on simple tasks.

“I'm happy to use [AI]. But I think the chefs will always be at the center of what happens.”