The majority of consumers think food and drink brands should declare on packaging if the product has been designed or manufactured with the help of artificial intelligence, according to a survey.
In a survey commissioned by Ingredient Communications, 83% of respondents said they thought manufacturers should make clear if AI had been involved in the making of food and drink products.
Just under half (44%) feared food or beverage products made with the help of AI might be less safe to consume.
“Many food and beverage companies have rushed to embrace the benefits of AI technology but it’s important they take care to consider how consumers feel about this,” said Richard Clarke, managing director of Ingredient Communications. “We’ve seen a huge backlash against AI in the arts and entertainment business. To avoid the same fate, food and beverage manufacturers should pause to reflect on whether they are being sufficiently transparent about their use of AI.”
Some brands are already using AI, chiefly to react more quickly to consumer trends.
Kraft Heinz, for example, works with AI-powered insight firm Tastewise to ingests online recipe searches, social media conversations, restaurant reviews and other sources to identify patterns to “accurately predict upcoming food and beverage trends”. Nestlé has used similar AI tools to come up with the Nescafé Dalgona coffee mixes and Nesvita plant probiotic supplements for adults in China. Carlsberg, Danone, and Nestlé use AI-backed consumer insights platform Cambri – to push NPD success rates up to a claimed 95%.
Its use in product formulation is more nascent, though Lynx has claimed to have used AI to come up with the “unique scent combination” of its limited edition Lynx AI deodorant. Earlier this year, St Austell Brewery used AI tools to come up with the recipe of its 4.2% American IPA, ‘Hand Brewed by Robots’.
Despite these seemingly benign use cases, brands should be cognisant of consumer sentiment around AI, Clarke said.
The value the public places on data collection and AI has increased in the past year – and consumers recognise the personal benefits of data and its societal benefits, according to separate research by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. But anxiety remains. A growing proportion of Brits think AI will have a net negative impact, with words such as ‘scary’, ‘worry’ and ‘unsure’ commonly used to express feelings associated with it, the department found.
“As we saw 30 years ago with the furore over the safety of genetically modified crops, it’s easy for misinformation to spread and stir up fear,” Clarke added. “Food and beverage companies would be wise to implement a communications strategy to ensure the public is kept informed about the ways in which they harness the power of AI tech.”
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