Kaffa Roastery founder Svante Hampf shows artificial intelligence-generated “AI-Conic” coffee blend package in Helsinki, Finland, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jari Tanner)
An artisanal roaster based in the Finnish capital has introduced a coffee blend that was developed by artificial intelligence in a test in which it is hoped that technology can ease the workload in a sector that traditionally prides itself on manual work.
It's quite fitting that Helsinki-based Kaffa Roastery's “AI-conic” blend was launched this week in Finland, a Nordic country of 5.6 million people that consumes the most coffee in the world, at 12 kilograms per capita. annually, according to the International Coffee Organization.
The Blend – an AI-chosen blend of four types of beans dominated by Brazil's velvety Fazenda Pinhal, is the end result of a project by Kaffa, Finland's third largest coffee roaster, and local IA consultancy Elev.
“Leveraging models similar to ChatGPT and Copilot, the AI was tasked with creating a blend that ideally met the tastes of coffee enthusiasts, pushing the boundaries of conventional flavor combinations,” said Elev.
Kaffa Roastery managing director and founder Svante Hampf told the Associated Press that the two partners wanted to test how AI and its different tools could help in coffee roasting, a traditional artisanal profession highly valued in Finland.
“Basically, the AI is given descriptions of all the types of coffee that make up the Blend and their flavors and then instructed to create an exciting new blend,” said Hampf, when presenting “AI-conic” at the Helsinki Coffee Festival , which annually brings together roasters and coffee aficionados.
In addition to creating your chosen blend of beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala, AI created the coffee packaging label and a detailed flavor description saying that “AI-conic” is “a well-balanced blend of sweetness and ripe fruit.”
Hampf acknowledged that he was surprised that the AI “somewhat strangely” chose to blend four different types of coffee beans, rather than the usual two or three, allowing flavor distinction between flavors from different origins. .
After the first roast test and blind trials, Kaffa's coffee experts agreed, however, that the technology-assisted blend was perfect and there was no need for human adjustments.
According to Elev spokesperson Antti Merilehto, “AI-conic is a tangible example of how AI can present new perspectives to experienced professionals” while offering coffee lovers new flavor experiences.
Kaffa Roastery hopes the trial will serve as an opening for dialogue among coffee professionals about what lies ahead in Finland, a nation that has a strong coffee culture and a passion for technology with a thriving startup scene.
“This (test) was the first step in seeing how AI could help us in the future,” Hampf said, adding that the project perfectly brought together “the artisanal skills of a roastery” and the data provided by AI. “I think AI has a lot to offer us in the long term. We are particularly impressed with the coffee flavor descriptions created.”
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