The AI Brownie Review: When Tech Meets Your Sweet Tooth

ChatGPT can help food scientists refine recipes before consumer testing, saving time and reducing costs.

ChatGPT may serve as a useful tool for evaluating the sensory characteristics of foods, particularly brownies. Researchers believe AI-driven analysis could speed up product development and improve recipe refinement (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The Potential Use of ChatGPT as a Sensory Evaluator of Chocolate Brownies: A Brief Case Study

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From Fish Oil to AI Feedback: Brownie Taste Test Goes Wild

Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tested 15 different brownie recipes, ranging from traditional ingredient combinations to unconventional ones, such as mealworm powder and fish oil. Damir Torrico, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, provided ChatGPT with these recipes and asked it to describe their taste, texture, and overall appeal. The responses were then classified as positive, negative, or neutral.

Torrico highlighted that traditional human sensory panels require significant time and effort, especially when evaluating multiple food prototypes. Additionally, some experimental ingredients may not be safe for human consumption. Using AI models like ChatGPT for initial assessments could streamline the process by providing preliminary insights before human testing.

Interestingly, ChatGPT tended to generate predominantly positive descriptions, even for brownies containing non-traditional ingredients. This observation aligns with a psychological concept known as “hedonic asymmetry,” which suggests that both AI and humans are more likely to emphasize positive aspects of food experiences.

While AI cannot fully replace human taste testers, the study suggests that it can help determine which formulations are worth further testing. Moving forward, Torrico aims to refine ChatGPT’s ability to use sensory evaluation language that closely mirrors human assessments, enhancing its potential as a tool for food science research.

Reference:

1. The Potential Use of ChatGPT as a Sensory Evaluator of Chocolate Brownies: A Brief Case Study – (https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/3/464)

Source-Medindia