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Food automation is different from automation of anything else. Food is the foundation of life-nourishing the body and soul-so the way food is obtained, prepared and consumed can fundamentally change society.
Automated kitchens are not the science fiction vision of “The Jaysons” or “Star Trek”. The technology is real and global. Currently, robots are used to flip burgers, fry chicken, make pizzas, make sushi, prepare salads, serve ramen, toast bread, make cocktails, and more. Artificial intelligence can invent recipes based on the molecular compatibility of ingredients or the inventory in the kitchen. More advanced concepts are being developed to automate the entire kitchen to provide refined dining.
Because technology tends to be expensive to start out, early adopters of artificial intelligence kitchen technology were restaurants and other businesses. Over time, prices in the domestic market may fall enough to potentially change domestic and social dynamics.
Can food technology really change society? Yes, just consider the earthquake impact of microwave ovens. With this technology, it is suddenly possible to make a fast meal for one person, which may be a benefit, but it can also destroy society.
Common concerns about the technology include prepackaged foods and microwave heating of plastic containers that can lead to deterioration in nutrition and health. Less obviously, this convenience can also transform eating from a public, cultural and creative activity into a practical survival behavior-changing the relationships, traditions, the way people work, the art of cooking and other aspects of life for millions.
For example, imagine how different life would be without a microwave oven. Instead of working at your desk while eating a reheated lunch, you may have to venture out and talk and enjoy a break from work. In an increasingly fanatical and socially isolated society, slowing down life makes sense.
Convenience can come at a huge price, so it is crucial to proactively foresee the moral and social damage that emerging technologies can cause, especially for the deeply human and culturally intertwined area of daily life-food.
With funding from the National Science Foundation, my team at California Polytechnic State University is conducting a study that we believe is the first study on the possible impact of artificial intelligence kitchens and robotic chefs on different societies and cultures around the world. We listed three broad areas of interest and risk to examine.
creators and consumers
Benefits of AI kitchens include making chefs more creative and eliminating repetitive, tedious tasks such as peeling potatoes or standing at a workstation for hours. This technology can free up time. Not having to cook means you can spend more time with your family or focus on more urgent tasks. For personalized diets, artificial intelligence can meet countless special diet, allergies and taste needs on demand.
However, human well-being is also at risk. Cooking can be healing and provides opportunities for many things: gratitude, learning, creativity, communication, risk-taking, self-expression, growth, independence, self-confidence, etc. If no one needs to cook, all of which may disappear. Family relationships could be affected if parents and children no longer work together in the kitchen-a safe chat space in sharp contrast to interrogations at the table.
The kitchen is also the family’s science laboratory, so science education may be affected. The alchemy of cooking includes teaching children and other learners knowledge of microbiology, physics, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, cooking techniques and tools, food ingredients and their sources, human health and problem solving. Not having to cook erodes these skills and knowledge.
communities and cultures
Artificial intelligence can help with experimentation and creativity, such as creating sophisticated food displays and novel recipes within the spirit of culture. Just as artificial intelligence and robotics help generate new scientific knowledge, they can also improve understanding of the characteristics of food ingredients, their interactions, and cooking techniques, including new methods.
But culture also carries risks. For example, artificial intelligence may undermine traditional recipes and methods because it is prone to creating stereotypes, such as flattening or oversimplifying cultural details and differences. This selection bias may lead to a reduction in the variety of dishes made by artificial intelligence and robot chefs.
If technology developers ‘machine limitations lead to homogenization of food and creativity, like the oddly similar feeling of artificial intelligence artistic images in different applications, technology developers may become gatekeepers to food innovation.
Also, think about your favorite restaurant and favorite dinner. How will automated kitchens change the character of these communities? If you knew that it was not your friends and family that cooked for you but a robot, would your own taste experience be reduced?
The hope of technology is that it creates more jobs than it loses. Even if there is a net increase in jobs, these numbers mask the impact on real life. The food service industry is one of the most popular occupations in any economy, and many people may find themselves unable to learn new skills to adapt to different jobs. Not everyone can become an artificial intelligence developer or robot technician, and it’s unclear whether supervising robots is better than cooking.
Philosophically speaking, whether artificial intelligence is truly creative remains an open question, especially if it means inspiration and intuition. Such an assumption may be the same error as thinking that a chatbot understands what it says, rather than just generating words that statistically follow previous words. This has an impact on the aesthetics and authenticity of AI-based food, similar to the ongoing debate over AI-based art and music.
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Original text:https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-robots-kitchen-society-culture.html
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