Cal Poly awarded six figure grant to study robots in kitchens

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.– Cal Poly Ethics and Emerging Sciences group was awarded a grant of over $700,000 to study the impacts of artificial intelligence in kitchens.

The money will go towards a four-year project studying the effects of robot kitchens on society.

Use of robots and AI in some restaurants already has propelled the investment in the field of technology and food to understand the relationship, use, limitations and possibilities of such equipment.

Philosophy professor Patrick Lin and a lead investigator for the project expands more on what the grant means.

“This project will help to draw out the hidden and very broad impacts of technology. By focusing on the trend of robot kitchens that’s just emerging from under the radar, there is still time for technical and policy interventions in order to maximize benefits and minimize harms and disruptions.”

The team includes Cal Poly faculty researchers from both the arts and sciences to fully encompass the impact automating kitchens can have in an ever-changing pandemic world.

“Outside of the home, restaurants are one of the most essential and oldest businesses, given the primacy of food. They are the bedrock for an economy, the soul of a community, and the ambassador for a culture. But the pandemic is causing a seismic shift in the restaurant industry, and robot kitchens could be a tipping point that forces many restaurants to evolve or die in the coming years.”