IBM and Bon Appétit’s artificial intelligence cooking app
Last June, Bon Appétit then invited a select group of readers “to beta-test the web app,” after taking an IBM survey to see if they were selected. The knowledge gained from the testers helped to make Watson smarter and readers, with the help of Chef Watson, have since invented everything from a new potato salad to unique tomato recipes. The app has also evolved to help people deal with dietary restrictions and reduce kitchen waste.
So how does it work? The free-app includes knowledge gained from training Watson to understand Bon Appetit’s database recipes, along with how various ingredients are used in different dishes and styles. IBM then combines this information with what the system knows about food chemistry and human taste preferences, along with the input shared by users who participated in the beta.
“Watson’s strength is finding patterns and relationships hidden among data, providing people with a jumping point to explore ideas that may never have been considered before,” says Dr. Steve Abrams, Distinguished Engineer & Director, IBM Watson, in a statement.
Bon Appétit fully included its readers during this yearlong process, updating them every step of the way. They “spent a year cooking with the world’s smartest computer — and now you can, too.” The app was available in beta up until June 23, 2015, and now anyone can experience the free IBM Chef Watson with Bon Appétit web app.
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