Japan convenience stores use AI to create desserts

Japanese convenience store chains Lawson and FamilyMart say they are using artificial intelligence to help create new desserts and other food products, including a pickle-flavoured lemon tart and a sweet potato canele.

Lawson said on Wednesday it will roll out three new food items this month in Tokyo and neighbouring regions. They include a pickle-flavoured lemon tart and a bread roll filled with red bean paste, margarine and yoghurt cream.

Lawson said the products were created using AI around the theme: “What on earth is this? But it's delicious.” The company said it used AI during brainstorming to generate ideas without relying on past sales figures or market data.

FamilyMart said it fed sales data into AI to help develop a French-style canele pastry made with dough containing sweet potato puree and topped with caramel sauce. A spokeswoman told AFP the dessert will go on sale nationwide next week.

FamilyMart said AI was used mainly for brainstorming and that human specialists were still involved in product development. The company test-launched its first AI-suggested dessert in July, a biscuit sandwich filled with thick milk cream, and plans to launch more AI-linked products in the coming months.