If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to eat food designed by an AI, you don't have to look very far; just buy a bag of Cheetos soon. Microsoft has revealed how its AI has helped PepsiCo ensure a high standard by creating the perfect Cheeto every time.
How does Microsoft AI and Cheetos Mix?
You've likely never predicted that AI and Cheetos would ever be brought together under one banner, but Microsoft does just that on the AI Blog for Business & Tech.
PepsiCo, the producer of Cheetos, wanted to make its production more efficient without sacrificing quality. To do this, it employed Microsoft Project Bonsai, a special system that provides businesses with AI-powered automation.
The technology hasn't fully rolled out yet; it has just had its first test run in a trial plant. The AI kept an eye out for any strange-looking Cheetos and reported the results to the rest of the machines to iron out any problems and keep the quality stable.
Fortunately, the AI passed with flying colors, and PepsiCo is looking to bring the technology to its real plants. As such, it won't be long until Cheetos produced by an AI will arrive on our shelves.
Denise Lefebvre, the Senior Vice President of Global Foods R&D at PepsiCo, is highly impressed by the results put out by the AI:
Cheetos, one of our most beloved billion-dollar brands, are produced in 22 countries and come in more than 50 flavors. The Project Bonsai technology helps us ensure each [Cheetos snack] is perfect, and we’re excited about its potential. This is only the beginning.
How PepsiCo Taught an AI to Love Cheetos
Beforehand, this kind of quality assurance was performed by a human operator. They would pluck a few Cheetos off of the belt and double-check it to see if it meets the standards, then make adjustments to the system if something went wrong.
On the other hand, Microsoft's AI can scan every Cheeto as they move down the belt. The AI will immediately detect any that fail its quality assurance tests, then gets to work on creating a plan to fix what went wrong.
If the plant has an operator on board, the AI presents its idea and waits for human approval. If there isn't, the AI can take matters into its own hands and give each machine instructions.
Of course, the AI's advice means nothing if it doesn't know about how Cheetos are made. That's why it was put through a reinforcement learning session, where it would simulate an entire day's run in only 30 seconds.
By the end of the session, the AI had seen more runs and encountered more problems than any human operator. As a result, the AI became a mastermind on identifying and fixing the production problems that Cheetos can experience.
PepsiCo isn't stopping there, however. It's also planning to implement AI into its Frito-Lay products in the hopes that it can create a flawless snack every time in the future.
Creating the Perfect Cheeto
If you love snacking on Cheetos, you'll be pleased to hear that a Cheeto-obsessed AI will soon perfect them. Given how the trials were a success, who knows how many companies will adopt AI to ensure their snacks are top quality?
If you want to use Microsoft's AI for your own personal projects, you'll be pleased to know that you can through Microsoft Lobe. The service lets you use AI even if you have no programming experience.
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