From Seed to Plate, Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming How and What We Eat

UC Davis uses this month's In Focus feature and the Unfold Podcast to tell the story of how AI is transforming nearly every aspect of our food system, from before a seed is planted up to the moment that food is eaten.

In Unfold, Andy Fell and Amy Quinton begin with the tomatoes in Amy's pasta, and discuss developments in agricultural technologies from the first mechanical tomato harvester to the latest AI advances. They interview AIFS Director, Ilias Tagkopoulos as well as AIFS faculty Christine Diepenbrock, Mason Earles and Danielle Lemay.

Christopher Simmons, Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Dan Vincent, former president and CEO of Pacific Coast Producers, offer their input as well.

According to Ilias Tagkopoulus, "[AI] is a really transformative technology. In human history, there are a few times we had technology that was so powerful, and it is such an opportunity for creating a better world."

Our food system includes breeders, farmers, producers, distributors, nutritionists, and retailers all working together to feed our growing population.

Tagkopoulus continues, "The food system is really, really complex, the more complex the system becomes, the more the analysis of data and finding the best point of operation becomes difficult."

This is where AI comes in, helping to analyze vast amounts of data to enable us to generate more nutritious, tasty food using fewer resources.

In his feature story, Andy delves into more details. Some topics covered include:

• Decisions from big data
• Making the seeds: AI in plant breeding
• In the fields: bolstering ag-tech
• Onto the truck: AI minimizing food loss
• Into the can: AI transforming the cannery
• Plates and stomachs: AI in nutrition and diet

In closing, Christopher Simmons says, “Whether we realize it or not, AI is becoming interwoven into many of the tools, software, and hardware that we rely on. I think we’re going to see the same thing in the food system.”

View the full story and listen to the podcast here:

https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/big-data-comes-to-dinner