Artificial intelligence is making its way into more and more areas of our lives, and now it seems to be conquering the culinary world as well. A striking example comes from the restaurant and delivery chain Dodo Pizza in Dubai, which turned to ChatGPT’s creative capabilities to develop new pizza varieties. One of these creations—topped with Arabic shawarma chicken, grilled Indian paneer cheese, Middle Eastern herbs, and tahini sauce—has become a real hit. This unusual combination, which captures the multicultural spirit of Dubai, has turned out to be a surprise success and remains on the restaurant’s menu.
The use of artificial intelligence as a creative idea generator in the culinary arts shows that technological innovation can play a significant role even in traditionally artisanal fields like cooking. However, this progress also raises important questions: How far should AI go in the kitchen? While the successful pizza in Dubai became a hit, other combinations suggested by ChatGPT—such as “strawberries and pasta” or “blueberries and breakfast cereal”—elicited more amused headshakes than culinary excitement. Understandably, these ideas didn’t make it onto the menu, highlighting that the human element remains indispensable in gastronomy.
The role of AI in the culinary industry poses an intriguing question for the future of this field. Can AI truly become a driving force for culinary innovation, or will it always serve as a supporting tool that provides creative impulses refined by human experts? The truth likely lies somewhere in between. While AI certainly has the potential to discover new and exciting flavor combinations and set trends, the fine-tuning and final assessment of these creations will likely remain the domain of human expertise.
The developments at Dodo Pizza show that AI can already be a valuable tool in the culinary world—when used wisely. However, it is crucial to recognize the limitations of this technology and not lose sight of the human touch. After all, even if AI can generate innovative ideas, it is ultimately humans who decide what ends up on our plates.
Post picture: DALL-E3
