5 ways AI will impact cookbook authors, home chefs, and restaurants

Artificial intelligence has finally made its way to the heart of the home: the kitchen. As it becomes more and more prevalent in our daily lives and transforms industries from healthcare to education, it was only natural that AI would find its way into the culinary world. As a chef with a background in technology, I have always been intrigued by the intersection of food and technology.

On one hand, I see the potential for AI to help make chefs' lives easier by creating more efficient systems and processes, accelerating recipe innovation, assisting with personal meal planning, and more. On the other hand, AI threatens creativity and raises concerns about plagiarism, licensing, and compensation. Here are five ways that AI is impacting cooking (for better or worse), from recipe generation to smart appliances, and what it means for chefs, cookbook authors, and home cooks.

AI can create recipes in seconds

The AI ​​recipe generator has a virtually limitless database of ingredients, cooking methods, culinary traditions, and the knowledge of various chefs, allowing it to churn out recipes in just seconds. It analyzes millions of existing recipes to identify trends and patterns, creating new dishes that mimic the creativity of master chefs like Julia Child and Jacques Pépin.

Ask ChatGPT to create a healthy vegan dinner recipe for two that's protein-packed and ready in 30 minutes, and you'll get a chickpea and quinoa power bowl that looks like it has a good balance of healthy fats, protein, and veggies, complete with cooking and assembly instructions from start to finish. But the question remains: will it actually taste good? Who knows, but the fact that I don't have to spend 3 hours going back and forth with my partner about what to make for dinner tonight is worth it in itself.

AI may be plagiarizing cookbook authors' work

The incorporation of AI into the culinary arts is not without controversy, especially when it comes to its use in creating cookbooks. Prominent food writers like Sue Quinn, an award-winning food writer, journalist, and cookbook author based in the UK, have expressed concerns about having AI systems train their copyrighted material without permission or compensation. “They should pay me to use my work, not take it for free for commercial gain. It's not hard; they have the financial muscle to do it,” says Quinn. She's fighting to get tech giants to at least pay licensing fees when they use authors' books.

Quinn has written 14 cookbooks, eight of which were allegedly used without permission by Meta, Bloomberg and other technology companies to train their generative AI systems. In total, over 180,000 books were used to train writers around the world, but Meta denies that it knowingly infringed copyrighted books. Quinn disagrees. She was “disheartened and outraged” that technology companies used her work ostensibly without compensation. She has devoted significant physical, mental and financial resources to the production of her cookbooks. Writing a cookbook is no easy task and often takes years.

As AI continues to evolve in the culinary industry, calls for transparency and ethical considerations are growing. Industry experts and creators are calling for clear guidelines on how AI can use intellectual property, highlighting the need for consent and fair compensation between individuals and large tech companies.

AI can help home chefs cook with confidence, while smart appliances could improve cooking precision

One thing that impresses me about this technology is its undeniable ability to explain things very clearly and concisely. As a professional chef, I can confidently say that this technology will empower home cooks to master high-end cooking techniques. This technology can be a boon for amateur cooks looking for daily inspiration and convenience. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to teach you how to make carrot brunoise (a culinary cut that turns carrots into small, precise cubes), and ChatGPT will give you step-by-step instructions with the exact steps and tips to execute the technique successfully. If you don't want to pay for culinary school and want to learn some techniques to take your cooking up a notch, AI can be a very beneficial learning tool.

From a purely tech perspective, advances in AI are also paving the way for incredible cooking appliances like GE's new smart mixer, which has built-in AI to let you know exactly when your cookie dough or meringue is perfectly mixed, helping chefs and home cooks multitask in the kitchen with ease and feel more confident in their cooking. Whether you're a proponent of AI or not, smart appliances can increase cooking precision, helping chefs stick to recipes and ensure consistent results.

AI can't write cookbooks like humans can (yet)

AI cannot capture the essence of a cookbook the way humans can. Historically, cookbooks served only as a collection of recipes to learn new cooking methods and techniques. Now, cookbooks have evolved into narratives with higher-resolution color photography than ever before. At their core, cookbooks are still recipe books, but today they are used to transport readers to another time and place, sometimes allowing them to connect with cultures they would not have experienced otherwise.

This evolution highlights the human thirst for stories we can relate to on a personal level, like reminiscing about our grandmother's kitchen. This stirs nostalgia and a sense of belonging. Relatability sells, and humans feel validated when it opens avenues of connection. Simply put, cookbooks open new ways of thinking about food and culture, and help us understand its impact on history.

Cookbook authors often incorporate their own experiences and personal stories into their recipes to foster a genuine connection with their readers. This approach highlights how cultural heritage and family traditions shape the recipes, often evoking strong emotions. Korean-American author Joan Molinaro, known for her compelling storytelling about her roots, exemplifies this perfectly, with her book receiving widespread praise on social media and a New York Times bestseller.

Despite ever-advancing technology, AI has yet to replicate the deep, human connection found in many cookbooks. While AI has certainly demonstrated the ability to mimic human emotions (e.g., Soulmate AI, which allows users to form relationships with chatbots), these manifestations are not expressions of true emotional intelligence but rather the result of complex algorithmic programming. While AI can mimic emotions and recognize emotional cues and simulate empathy based on data analysis and pattern recognition, it lacks the soul and artistry that have long characterized literature in general and cookery literature in particular.

So what does culinary legend Martha Stewart think about AI and cookbooks? During Jess Damack's “Healthnut” cookbook launch talk, Stewart spoke about her experience writing 99 cookbooks and working on her 100th, and the conversation naturally turned to the impact of AI on culinary literature. I was curious to know their thoughts, so I started asking questions. Both authors believe it's entirely too late to turn the tide.

Stewart's insight was particularly striking. She pointed to the immediate challenges facing traditional cookbooks against the tide of technological advancement, saying she believes cookbooks will quickly become outdated and that the need for authors may disappear. However, she revealed the potential for AI to immortalize the essence of authors, inspiring creativity and innovation, and preserving the legacy of chefs and authors for future generations. This perspective opens up a broader discussion about the role of AI in preserving culinary traditions, suggesting that the essence of food and storytelling can continue to thrive even as technology continues to evolve.

Optimizing kitchen operations

In my experience, restaurants tend to be slow to adopt new technologies to enhance their business needs, such as QR code menus, leveraging tools like Resy, developing a website, etc. Today, that mindset is changing rapidly as restaurateurs are embracing technology more readily. According to the latest data from the National Restaurant Association, in the next 12 months alone, 55% of restaurateurs plan to invest in improvements to their service areas, and 60% are looking for technology to improve the customer experience.

Restaurateurs understand that technology gives them a competitive advantage, with 16% hoping to invest in AI technology in 2024 alone. AI has the ability to singlehandedly create operational efficiencies, from inventory management to reducing waste. Certain technologies can even monitor food storage and suggest menu adjustments based on availability.

For example, applications like Winnow (software that uses scales and cameras to track food waste) use AI to analyze what goes to waste and help chefs make more informed decisions about purchasing, portioning, and menu planning. Other apps like Bluecart (a procurement and inventory management platform) use AI to optimize order amounts based on historical data and trend analysis. These solutions can significantly reduce waste, but successful implementation requires a commitment to change and adapt, and of course, money.

The impact of integrating AI into the kitchen is just beginning, and there is much to explore and define along the way. An open dialogue is essential as we navigate this new culinary frontier. In doing so, we can find ways to strike a balance that respects both human and machine contributions, and ensures that innovation and convenience enhance rather than replace the kitchen stories and the food we share. As culinary expert Carolyn Phillips stated in a Stained Page News article, “Who wants a recipe written by someone who thinks in zeros and ones, who has never tasted strawberries or wine, and who has no concept of food or eating?”

to be continued…