Artificial Intelligence (AI) is profoundly changing the culinary sector, making developing recipes and menus more innovative and efficient than ever. What began as simple recipe recommendations based on available ingredients has evolved into intelligent systems capable of creating complete and personalized menus adapted to different food preferences, culinary trends, and nutritional needs. This evolution has made the work of chefs and restaurants easier and opened up endless possibilities for gastronomic creativity, optimizing processes and reducing the time it takes to develop new dishes.
According to Francisco José García-Ull, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy at Universidad Europea, "the most effective technologies for creating and testing new recipes are machine learning algorithms and neural networks. These tools allow analyzing large volumes of data, including flavor combinations, user preferences, and existing recipes, to generate new proposals." Advanced generative models, such as recurrent and transformational neural networks, can predict combinations of ingredients that are not only innovative but also delicious, pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible in gastronomy.
Among the technical benefits highlighted by García-Ull, using AI in the kitchen optimizes ingredients, which contributes to reducing food waste and promotes sustainability in the sector. In addition, "AI makes it possible to create highly personalized menus, adapted to the needs and food preferences of each individual, while at the same time making it easier to experiment with cooking techniques and flavor combinations that might go unnoticed in more traditional approaches," he says.
Despite the advances, the expert warns that one of the biggest challenges for AI in the kitchen is the lack of a digital "palate" to assess the actual taste of the suggested combinations. "Although AI proposals may seem appropriate on a technical level, the final touch of the evaluation must be done by human chefs. In addition, the success of the recipes generated depends on the quality and quantity of data available to train the models, which adds another technical challenge to the equation.
However, there are certain risks and limitations to using AI. The AI expert explains that "over-reliance on these technologies can lead to a loss of culinary authenticity or even to the standardization of recipes, in which the dishes, although technically correct, lack the soul that usually characterizes artisanal cooking." Bias in the data on which AI models are trained can generate results that do not adequately reflect the cultural diversity of customers. To ensure that AI-generated recipes meet the quality standards of professional cuisine, Garcia-Ull insists on close collaboration between chefs and technology experts. "AI proposals must be tested and adjusted in controlled environments before they reach customers' tables, ensuring that gastronomic excellence is maintained," he says.
"The future of AI in gastronomy is promising." Professor Francisco José García-Ull foresees a deeper integration of these technologies into the culinary process, from menu planning and design to the final customer experience. As AI evolves, it can adapt recipes in real-time according to the availability of ingredients or customer preferences, making the dining experience more dynamic, personalized, and efficient.