Pickle-flavoured tart? AI inspires Japan's convenience stores

TOKYO: Fears that advanced artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity have dominated global headlines, but in Japan the technology is being used for a sweeter purpose - developing never-before-seen convenience store desserts.

For customers tired of the usual egg sandwiches and rice balls, major chains are turning to AI to develop products, including some unexpected flavours.

Lawson, one of the country's biggest convenience store operators, said on Tuesday (Sep 15) it will roll out three new food items, including a pickle-flavoured lemon tart and a bread roll filled with red bean paste, margarine and yoghurt cream.

These products, to be launched this month in Tokyo and neighbouring regions, were created using AI around the theme: "What on earth is this? But it's delicious."

"To generate ideas unconstrained by existing ways of thinking or market trends, we used AI during brainstorming, without relying on past sales figures or market data," a company press release said.

Meanwhile, rival FamilyMart said they fed sales data into AI to help develop a new dessert - a French-style "canele" pastry made with dough containing sweet potato puree and topped with caramel sauce.

The dessert will hit shelves nationwide next week, a spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the company had wanted to create something new but likely to sell.

Like Lawson's products, AI was used primarily for brainstorming, while human specialists were still involved in product development, according to the company.

It will not be FamilyMart's first dessert product suggested by AI.

In July, the chain test-launched its first AI experiment - a biscuit sandwich filled with thick milk cream.

It proved a success, so the company decided to properly pursue AI in product development, and plans to launch more of the items in the coming months, the spokeswoman said.

The rapidly advancing capabilities of AI have sparked a global panic in recent days, as researchers warn of the risks of "superintelligent" computer systems that could evade human control.

Leading US AI labs have called for a coordinated slowdown of their cutting-edge work, while debate rages over how governments should regulate the technology.