"Will be brilliant if AI can knead dough, clean table...": Kunal Kapur welcomes artificial intelligence as assisting tool in food industry
By Ila Sankrityayan, Gurugram, May 18
Artificial Intelligence is making its way in all the areas including the food industry. It helps in creating new recipes and making cooking easier and faster. Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur believes AI is becoming a useful tool for chefs, especially in helping them communicate and present their culinary creations more effectively.
Speaking about the growing role of AI in the food and hospitality industry, Kapur said many talented regional chefs often struggle to explain their dishes or write appealing menu descriptions despite being excellent cooks.
"A lot of chefs, especially when I travel in regional India, find it difficult to express what they are cooking onto a menu or explain it properly," Kapur told ANI.
According to Kapur, many chefs are now turning to AI chatbots to help articulate their ideas. "I see more and more of them putting those dishes onto AI chatbots and asking, 'How do I explain this? What do I write on my menu?' They can cook very well, but sometimes they don't know how to communicate it," added the celebrity chef.
No doubt, AI is becoming an important part of modern kitchen and the food industry. Still, there are concerns around AI replacing jobs, however, Kunal dismissed fears about technology taking over chefs' roles entirely.
"Chefs have asked me if AI is going to take our jobs. Well, that will be brilliant if AI can knead the dough, clean the table, label everything and clean the gas ranges. Please take over those jobs first," shared the renowned chef.
Kapur also talked about regional Indian cuisine and shared that it is finally beginning to receive global recognition, though he noted that the journey is still evolving. "People in India have started appreciating regional food, which is brilliant. That is step one," he said.
Highlighting the growing popularity of Indian food internationally, the chef pointed to cities like New York, where several new Indian restaurants focusing on regional cuisine are gaining attention.
"At the global stage, the process has started. If you look at New York, some of the best newcomers are doing a lot of regional Indian food," he said.
However, Kapur added that greater awareness about the intricacy and complexity of Indian cuisine is still developing globally. "We are there, but we are not there there yet," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting take. As someone who works in tech, I can see AI helping with consistency and scaling recipes. But I hope we don't lose the human touch—the love and intuition that makes a family recipe special. It's a tool, not a replacement.
Finally someone saying what we all think! If AI can clean my kitchen and knead dough for rotis, I'll be the happiest person. But for creating new fusion dishes? That's still a chef's job. Love the balance in his view. 😊
Respectfully disagree. I've been a chef in Udupi hotels for 15 years. AI can't replicate the feel of the dough, the smell of the tempering, or the judgment of when a curry is done. Let's not overhype technology. Skills come from experience, not algorithms.
As a home cook, I use AI for recipe ideas when I'm stuck with leftover veggies. It's like having a sous chef who never sleeps. But the final taste test? That's still me and my family. Gadgets can assist, but the heart of Indian cooking is in the hand.
I love that he's championing regional cuisine getting global recognition. We need more chefs like him who respect tradition while embracing innovation. AI can help share our diverse food heritage with the world. Prakritik swad hi asli hai! 🌶️
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.