AI in Foodservice

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by food companies and individual consumers is becoming increasingly prevalent. Brands have been testing how to incorporate advances in AI in their daily operations to streamline processes and cut costs. Despite initial hesitations, consumers, too, have been jumping on the AI bandwagon, adopting new technologies and putting AI to work to make their lives a little bit easier and save them time.

The foodservice industry, in particular, has been quick to get innovative with these technologies, with consumers also relying on AI to help them find and choose restaurants to dine at. With restaurant chains and consumers alike benefitting from the efficiencies that AI affords them, AI is here to stay – and will only become more pervasive. Keep reading for our insights into how AI is being used in foodservice.

Improving Processes and Cost Savings

Just like in the food manufacturing industry, the foodservice industry is using AI to make processes more efficient and save money. For example, restaurant chains have been testing AI-powered technologies that keep track of inventory and automate ordering to prevent shortages.

AI is in their kitchens, too. In order to minimize human error, larger restaurant chains have been having AI-powered technologies make some staple menu items. The benefit of doing so is being able to better control the process, so that the end result is consistent.

Foodservice establishments have also been looking to AI to find small, but meaningful changes that they can make to their processes in order to cut costs. Many of these changes involve having AI take over tasks that would traditionally be done by a human in order to speed up processes, which ultimately saves the establishment money.

Interacting with Humans

Although consumers are unlikely to know about or be directly impacted by the ways in which AI is working behind the scenes in the foodservice industry, it’s becoming increasingly likely that they’ve interacted with AI at some point while dining out.

From AI-powered ordering systems and drive-thrus to bots that answer consumers’ questions and make recommendations, foodservice establishments have been replacing customer-facing roles traditionally held by humans with AI.

In some cases, consumers may not even be aware that they are interacting with AI, but as AI gains more widespread acceptance, foodservice chains will be more likely to showcase their use of AI as a selling point or as a means of signaling that their brand is innovative.

Taking the Guesswork Out of Dining Out

While foodservice brands have been relying on AI to improve efficiencies, consumers have been using it to help them make their dining out decisions. One of the hallmarks of AI is being able to take a large amount of information and data to make customized recommendations that meet any given consumer’s preferences. As such, consumers have been looking to AI to figure out what restaurants to eat at or order from – and what to order.

One of the primary reasons that consumers have become more accepting of AI is that they have recognized that it can be used to make their lives easier and take tasks off their plate, so that they can focus more on the things that they enjoy. As a result, we expect that consumers will continue to look to AI to help them find restaurants and menu items that meet their specifications.

How Else is AI Influencing the Food Industry?

Beyond foodservice, AI is influencing consumers’ food-related decisions in general. Food brands aren’t the only ones using AI to save money; consumers are too. Amidst inflation, consumers have been turning to AI to help them plan their food choices, with some even having AI make budget-conscious grocery lists and weekly menus for them.

Discovering new foods and dishes serves as a source of enjoyment for many consumers, but doing so requires research and time. To still get the same satisfaction of experiencing something different without having to put in the time and effort, consumers have been letting AI do the work for them. Undoubtedly, as consumers’ reliance on AI to guide their food choices increases, AI will have a major influence over trends in the industry as a whole.

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