From Bite to Byte: How AI-Backed Tech is Shaping the Food Industry
how several companies are using AI technology to disrupt the QSR industry and simplify personal decisions around eating
In honor of “generative AI” becoming the new buzzword, I was curious to see how this technology is applied to the food industry. The “Generative AI” industry was valued at $8.2B in 2021 and is expected to grow to $126.5B by 2031. From meal scores to photo generation, AI may soon become integral to the restaurant industry and our eating lifestyles.
Photos Eat First
Recently LunchBox has hit the news with its partnership with ChatGPT in building an AI-powered food photo generator. LunchBox’s original business model involves enterprise software that connects restaurants to new and existing customers. The software hosts multiple capabilities: a seamless ordering system, a loyalty program, customer relationship management, and web design. This new photo generation feature is certainly a remarkable expansion of their current service offerings, as 175 million photos were generated within four weeks of launching. Lunchbox CEO Nabeel Alamgir reports that “food items with an image have 70% more orders than food items that do not”. There are, however, some limitations to this technology. We are unaware of how many of those 175 million photos were used, and misleading photos could lead to lawsuits, as seen with Burger King.
Data Queen Enters The Chat
Tastewise has an AI-powered generator, TasteGPT, that provides data-driven insights into trends specifically in the food and beverage industry. It can also act as an AI-powered conversational chatbot that shares recommendations on marketing tactics, products, and menu ideas. Data shows that 77% of consumers are open to trying AI-generated recipes, so Tastewise can leverage this curiosity among young Gen Z consumers to grow their technology. The technology shortens the months of market research and data search to validate a product idea in this space - a great resource for upcoming product expansions and launches!
Your Personal Tracking Buddy
Rather than generating photos, other AI-backed technologies are using photos as input to provide nutritional information about the food in the images. Bite.ai, CalorieMama, and LogMeal are a few examples of companies that are deep into developing a sustainable solution to track calories using artificial intelligence. So far, LogMeal has been able to detect over 1300 foods, but there is a long way to go before an accurate caloric amount can be calculated from a photo.
Lastly, attaching a “meal score” is another AI-powered solution to facilitate a healthier eating lifestyle. DayTwo has an algorithm that acts as a personal assistant to help individuals make immediate food choices. DayTwo creates personalized 'meal scores' based on an individual's microbiome analysis to control their blood sugar levels by identifying the ingredients that affect them. Zoe is another company that charges $59/month to provide meal scores using various data points, such as blood sugar and blood fat. The research to back these solutions is very limited and there are several other biological factors to consider for a “meal score”, so it will take several years before the applications can be used by the public.
AI is rapidly changing the food industry. While there is limited research and capabilities, AI does have the potential to transform the way we eat and the QSR industry overall. Be it generating photos, tracking calories, or calculating meal scores, generative AI is on its way to shaping the future of food.
thank you so much for reading 🫶🏽
sending good vibes for some awesome eats this week😋