“Majority of Buyers Advocate for Disclosure of AI Usage on Food and Drink Labels”

A survey conducted by Ingredient Communications suggests that a majority of consumers believe it is necessary for food and beverage companies to disclose when they use artificial intelligence (AI) in their production processes. The survey showed that a significant 83% of participants think it’s crucial for such products to bear labels indicating they’ve been created or produced with AI assistance. The strong favorability towards this was evident with 55% of the total respondents expressing their agreement ardently, while only 4% voiced disagreement.

SurveyGoo executed the online survey during October, gathering responses from 1,040 consumers from both the UK and US.

Many respondents, approximately 64%, consider the term ‘natural’ to be inappropriate for describing food and beverage items produced with the aid of AI technology. Opinions on the need for stricter regulation also held high support as 78% of respondents concur that the government should enforce legislation determining how AI can be applied in designing and manufacturing food and beverage products. A relatively small proportion, 6%, disagreed with this sentiment.

Opinions were divided on the general impact of AI technology, with 52% viewing it as a positive progress for humanity and 21% dissenting. However, the positivity dipped slightly when it came to AI’s usage in designing and producing food and beverages; 42% were optimistic about it, while 27% viewed it with negativity.

The survey found that 44% of respondents were of the opinion that AI-produced food and beverages might carry potential safety risks. However, they were undecided on whether the integration of AI in production would influence their purchasing decisions. While 26% believed that they would likely buy AI produced items, 29% shared the opposite sentiment.

Richard Clarke from Ingredient Communications compared the current scenario to the uproar around genetically modified crops three decades ago, stating that erroneous information can easily fuel apprehension. He stressed the importance for food and beverage companies to prioritize transparency and open communication about their use of AI to ensure customer understanding and trust.

Clarke also highlighted that younger respondents – specifically Generation Z and Millennials – displayed a greater acceptance (65% and 57% respectively) of AI use in the food industry compared to Generation X and Baby Boomers, at 44% and 25% receptiveness respectively.

He concluded by advising food and beverage companies to stop and contemplate whether they’ve been transparent enough about their use of AI, as he’s seen backlash in other industries such as arts and entertainment, and firms in this sector should ensure they don’t face the same fate.