4 ways AI could revamp the role of the kitchen

Think about how much time you spend in your home. Then consider how much of that time you are in the kitchen: cooking, eating, entertaining, and so on.

Artificial intelligence has made its way into the kitchen to tackle tasks from serving up recipes to reordering groceries, and new technologies are being developed at a rapid pace. Staying up to date on the latest developments in kitchen AI will enable you to experience the shift firsthand.

1. Innovation follows the money

A kitchen remodel can return anywhere from 70 to 120 percent at resale of the home. Thus, when homeowners invest in a kitchen, they often aren’t afraid to spend.

This gives companies the freedom to invest in kitchen technology without worrying too much about price. Since innovation follows money, you can expect to see exciting new advancements in the coming years.

2. Growth of smart kitchen appliances

Smart appliances and devices are the most tangible applications of AI in the kitchen, as major tech companies like Samsung and KitchenAid continue to develop smart refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, etc.

But we’re also seeing interesting standalone devices from smaller companies, such as Hello Egg. This company works in collaboration with the Eggspert app to help users plan meals and organize their lives in the kitchen using AI-powered solutions.

As virtual assistants like the Amazon Echo and Google Home grab ever larger shares of the market, we can likely expect a proliferation of connected kitchen devices.

3. Personalized dining experiences

It’s also worth noting that AI will play an active role in commercial kitchens and restaurants. As industries focus on personalizing product offerings for customers, restaurants may be interested in using CRM applications that provide relevant recommendations and customized menus.

As developer Andrew Brust writes, “Menus could also be customized according to prior knowledge of customers’ food allergies — which would alleviate a lot of the stress some families encounter when dining out and, in so doing, likely enhance sales.”

Though we probably won’t see this in all restaurants, it could well be something that sets particular luxury dining establishments apart from their competition.

4. Smarter supply chains

Restaurants and commercial kitchens that find ways to implement AI strategically may also benefit from smarter supply chains. When ERP systems integrate with cloud-based inventory management solutions and POS systems, it’s possible for companies to predict future demand and plan accordingly.

This is something Westville, a chain of six restaurants in New York City, is already doing. “The big thing for us was to consolidate our ordering, and now we are exploring the other benefits of reporting and setting up alerts,” says Shawn Peled, director of operations at Westville.

“We can compare different months using graphs to see how purchasing changed and can check over-ordering and waste, which is a big issue for most restaurants.”

As ERP, inventory, and POS solutions improve over time, we can expect to see more restaurants adopt similar strategies to lower costs and minimize food waste. This will allow them to focus on serving the food customers want, which will lead to greater customer satisfaction and profitability.

Larry Alton is a contributing writer at VentureBeat covering artificial intelligence.