The kitchen is getting smarter, and artificial intelligence (AI) is supplying many of the ingredients. From voice-controlled recipe apps to fully automated robotic chefs, AI-powered cooking assistance is rapidly transforming how people prepare meals at home.

The global AI in food and beverage market is projected to reach $187.3 billion by 2032, while the smart kitchen market alone is expected to generate around $68.7 billion in revenue by 2025. These aren’t just abstract figures, but real products already making their way into kitchens worldwide.

As AI continues to evolve, the kitchen of the future will likely blend both worlds: Leveraging technology for efficiency while preserving the human elements that make cooking more than just fuel preparation.

“We wanted to prove that food service does not have to be back-breaking, low-margin work, and that the right tools can help kitchens streamline and automate their operations, run more efficiently, and meet sustainability goals at the same time,” said Fengmin Gong, CEO of Metafoodx, a food technology company applying real-time decision intelligence to commercial restaurants to combat more than $300 billion in food waste generated annually across the global food supply chain.

At the heart of the system is a scanner that provides chefs with real-time visibility into what food is being wasted, enabling them to adjust production volumes and prevent waste earlier in the process.

The platform takes what Gong describes as a “shift-left approach” borrowed from cybersecurity, focusing on risk prevention based on early intervention. The system combines Internet of Things design, artificial intelligence, and multi-sensor integration to provide comprehensive visibility across the food lifecycle, including AI-powered automation for consumption tracking, safety monitoring, and quality control.

Since launching its product in May 2024, Metafoodx has gained traction across multiple foodservice sectors, including colleges and universities, hotels and resorts, quick-service restaurants, cloud kitchens, corporate dining facilities, and foodservice contractors. The company reports strong return on investment validation and industry recognition.

Building on initial momentum, Metafoodx is now launching advanced food quality and inventory control capabilities while expanding integrations with kitchen management systems, point-of-sale platforms, and kitchen robotics, positioning itself as what Gong calls “the cornerstone of future kitchens.”

Myka, a voice-powered recipe app developed by InData Labs, lets users dictate recipes while cooking and have recipes read back to them, solving the age-old problem of touching your phone with flour-covered hands. It’s a simple innovation that addresses a genuine pain point for home cooks.

For those seeking more comprehensive solutions, AI meal planning assistants are emerging to tackle everyday cooking challenges. One developer created MealestroAI specifically to address budget-friendly cooking, grocery shopping, minimizing food waste, and pleasing all family members — all problems that plague busy households daily.

At the high-tech end of the spectrum, companies like Liffo are pushing boundaries with robotic kitchen systems that can prepare dishes without supervision, schedule recipes to be ready at specific times, and even refrigerate ingredients up to 24 hours. These systems use AI to learn user preferences and customize recipes over time.

The trend extends globally. In India, Upliance 2.0 markets itself as a smart kitchen companion, offering 750+ guided recipes across 34 cuisines with auto-cook precision and remote app control. Meanwhile, established tech giants are entering the space—Samsung Food now includes grocery list generation and voice assistant features, while IBM Corp.’s Chef Watson uses AI to suggest unexpected ingredient combinations.

Popular AI cooking tools like DishGen create custom recipes from available ingredients while ChefGPT offers multiple modes including meal planning and pantry management. The promise is clear: Less food waste, more creativity, and cooking that fits seamlessly into modern life.

But not everyone is celebrating. Food bloggers and recipe developers are raising concerns about AI-generated recipes. The Leung sisters from The Woks of Life blog contend recipe development involves testing recipes up to 40 times and is deeply connected to cultural understanding and family stories. Their skepticism stems from a fundamental limitation that machines can’t taste or eat.

Tensions between technological convenience and culinary authenticity capture the current moment in AI cooking assistance. While the technology offers undeniable benefits, such as helping people cook more efficiently, reducing waste, and explore new cuisines, it also raises questions about what might be lost when algorithms replace human intuition and cultural knowledge in the kitchen.

Thomas Odermatt, the Swiss master butcher behind the Roli Roti rotisserie and manufacturing empire, is bridging the gap between “old-school” artisanal craftsmanship and the digital frontier. While Odermatt remains committed to traditional methods, he argues that AI has become an indispensable tool in modern food processing, provided it is treated as a partner rather than a replacement.

Odermatt views the integration of AI through three specific lenses: recipe research, recipe development, and food safety. By utilizing data to map out flavor profiles and monitor production environments, manufacturers can achieve a level of consistency and safety that manual oversight alone cannot match. For Odermatt, ignoring these technological advancements is no longer a viable option for those in the manufacturing space.

However, the founder issues a stern warning against “blindly” relying on algorithms. He insists that while a computer can suggest a formula, it lacks the sensory experience required to create a soulful product. “You need a classically trained chef or butcher as a final judge,” Odermatt said, noting that the nuances of a complex broth or the precise timing of a roast require human intuition.

The core of Odermatt’s philosophy is the preservation of “common sense” in the kitchen. He believes that the artistry of a food crafter — the ability to pivot based on the quality of a specific batch of ingredients — is something AI cannot currently replicate. To Odermatt, the technology is a map, but the chef is the navigator.

Ultimately, Roli Roti’s approach serves as a blueprint for the future of the industry: A hybrid model where data informs the process but the palate remains the final authority. By balancing the efficiency of AI with the standards of a master butcher, Odermatt proves that high-tech manufacturing can still produce a product that tastes like it was made by hand.