In a quest to determine whether artificial intelligence (AI) can surpass human beings in creating the tastiest chocolate chip cookie recipe, an experiment was conducted by Dan Souza, chief content officer for America’s Test Kitchen. Souza pitted the Test Kitchen’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe against recipes generated by two AI programs, ChatGPT and DishGen. The aim was to assess the potential of AI in recipe development.
The experiment involved Souza requesting each AI program to generate a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Surprisingly, the results from both programs were nearly identical. Souza attributed this similarity to the fact that the AI engines drew inspiration from various sources, resulting in an average output that closely resembled traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes found on the back of Toll House chocolate chip morsels.
While the AI recipes were deemed decent, they lacked the innovation and complexity of the Test Kitchen’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Souza highlighted that the Test Kitchen’s recipe incorporated several techniques, such as browning the butter, which added rich, nutty flavor and denseness to the cookies, resulting in a delightful combination of crunchiness and chewiness.
Although the AI recipes showed promise, Souza emphasized that they were missing a crucial element: the human touch. The emotional connection and nostalgia associated with family recipes significantly influence how we perceive taste. AI cannot replicate this aspect, as it lacks the ability to evoke the same emotions and experiences that humans bring to the table.