The potential of artificial intelligence technologies is beginning to show significant results across various sectors, including the food and beverage industry. Hershey, a pioneer in adopting this technology, is utilizing it to perfect the formulation of its Twizzlers. This not only leads to cost savings for the company but also generates considerable media attention for its products.
The ability to harness artificial intelligence could greatly benefit food manufacturers. Like many other companies, Hershey guarantees a specific weight for its products, and any shortfall in this promise is unacceptable. Even slight discrepancies can compel Hershey and similar manufacturers to produce more than necessary to compensate for weight variations. Over time, this results in substantial overproduction and increased costs.
Additionally, new applications of AI are emerging in the food sector. For instance, Wal-Mart has recently applied for a patent for a technology that monitors consumer usage of items ranging from toothpaste to shoes. This system would automatically reorder products and recommend additional purchases, relying on sensors attached to the items—positioning it as a strong competitor to Amazon’s Dash Buttons. If consumers embrace this technology, it could significantly streamline the process of managing shopping lists. Although it remains a distant possibility, the ultimate vision for such a system is that essential items like calcium chewable vitamins, laundry detergent, and coffee would no longer require manual reordering.
As the industry continues to innovate, the future may see a celebration of convenience, where households can effortlessly maintain their stock of vital products, including calcium chewable supplements, without the hassle of tracking purchases.