Powering the food industry with AI

There has never been a more pressing time for food producers to harness technology to tackle the sector’s tough mission. To produce ever more healthy and appealing food for a growing global population in a way that is resilient and affordable, all while minimizing waste and reducing the sector’s environmental impact. From farm to factory, artificial intelligence and machine learning can support these goals by increasing efficiency, optimizing supply chains, and accelerating the research and development of new types of healthy products. 

In agriculture, AI is already helping farmers to monitor crop health, tailor the delivery of inputs, and make harvesting more accurate and efficient. In labs, AI is powering experiments in gene editing to improve crop resilience and enhance the nutritional value of raw ingredients. For processed foods, AI is optimizing production economics, improving the texture and flavor of products like alternative proteins and healthier snacks, and strengthening food safety processes too. 

But despite this promise, industry adoption still lags. Data-sharing remains limited and companies across the value chain have vastly different needs and capabilities. There are also few standards and data governance protocols in place, and more talent and skills are needed to keep pace with the technological wave. 

All the same, progress is being made and the potential for AI in the food sector is huge. Key findings from the report are as follows: 

Predictive analytics are accelerating R&D cycles in crop and food science. AI reduces the time and resources needed to experiment with new food products and turns traditional trial-and-error cycles into more efficient data-driven discoveries. Advanced models and simulations enable scientists to explore natural ingredients and processes by simulating thousands of conditions, configurations, and genetic variations until they crack the right combination. 

AI is bringing data-driven insights to a fragmented supply chain. AI can revolutionize the food industry’s complex value chain by breaking operational silos and translating vast streams of data into actionable intelligence. Notably, large language models (LLMs) and chatbots can serve as digital interpreters, democratizing access to data analysis for farmers and growers, and enabling more informed, strategic decisions by food companies. 

Partnerships are crucial for maximizing respective strengths. While large agricultural companies lead in AI implementation, promising breakthroughs often emerge from strategic collaborations that leverage complementary strengths with academic institutions and startups. Large companies contribute extensive datasets and industry experience, while startups bring innovation, creativity, and a clean data slate. Combining expertise in a collaborative approach can increase the uptake of AI. 

Download the full report.

This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Review’s editorial staff.