In a groundbreaking move, the subsidiaries of the Hajdúsági Bakeries Group, located in Debrecen, eastern Hungary, are set to introduce bakery products developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative development was announced by the company’s CEO, Tamás Szakács, during a press conference. The move marks a significant step forward in the application of AI within the food industry, with a focus on delivering modern, healthy, and delicious products.
Ethical AI integration
Tamás Szakács emphasized that their approach to AI integration maintains a strong ethical principle. According to this principle, all important decisions are still made by people, and AI operates within the boundaries defined by human oversight. This ensures that AI is a tool for enhancing human creativity and efficiency rather than replacing it.
Multiple AI platforms at work
The Hajdúsági Bakeries Group has harnessed the power of more than half a dozen AI platforms across various aspects of their operations. These AI platforms contribute to product ideation, specific recipe creation, technological improvements, marketing strategies, communication efforts, and creative elements such as website design, visual content, music selection, and even verbal solutions.
Human-centric product development
In the testing phase, Szakács underlined that the taste and product experience remained exclusively human. This underscores the company’s commitment to ensuring that AI-driven products align with human preferences and expectations. With three AI-developed products already in the pipeline, including a 400-gram loaf called “Csevegő” (“Chatter”), the bakery is poised to introduce these innovative creations to the market.
AI in action: Smart and healthy products
Two of the innovative products developed with AI are a sandwich base and a cake, which will be launched as part of the “smart” Vitajó range of immune-supporting products. Szakács highlighted that AI is being leveraged to create more modern, healthy, and delectable offerings for consumers. The application of AI has enabled the company to enhance its product range, with an emphasis on both taste and nutrition.
Investment in AI-powered frozen products
To further support their AI-driven initiatives, Hajdúsági Bakeries recently established a sample plant dedicated to frozen products, representing an investment of HUF 1 billion (EUR 2.6 million). This substantial investment showcases the bakery’s commitment to integrating AI into their production processes and signifies their dedication to producing high-quality, innovative products.
Growth and expansion
Hajdúsági Bakeries, with a workforce of 380 employees, achieved a turnover of HUF 11 billion (EUR 29 million) last year. The bakery group anticipates substantial growth, with projections indicating an increase of half a billion HUF (EUR 1.3 million) in the current year. This anticipated growth highlights the bakery’s confidence in the potential of AI-powered products to capture the market’s attention and meet the evolving demands of consumers.
AI’s role in transforming the food industry
The application of AI within the food retail sector is indicative of a broader trend aimed at improving business and supply chain efficiency. Across various retail segments, transformative technologies like AI have brought about significant improvements. For instance, industry leaders like Nestlé and Nuritas employ AI to identify proteins that can enable the production of healthier foods. Similarly, Kraft Heinz is utilizing AI to optimize and enhance its relationships with stores, sales representatives, and consumers.
Experts in the field believe that AI-powered solutions, developed through AI software development, will lead to a substantial surge in operational excellence for businesses in the food industry. These solutions not only enhance efficiency but also enable food companies to offer innovative, healthier, and more appealing products, aligning with changing consumer preferences.
As Debrecen’s Hajdúsági Bakeries Group pioneers AI-powered bakery products in Hungary, it sets an exciting precedent for the food industry’s future. With a commitment to maintaining human-centered decision-making while harnessing the capabilities of AI, the bakery is poised to deliver a new era of bakery delights to the discerning Hungarian market. The fusion of AI and culinary expertise promises to create a winning recipe for success in the modern food industry.
