Japanese convenience store chains to launch AI-developed sweets
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Sweets developed with ideas generated by artificial intelligence will go on sale at Lawson and FamilyMart stores later this month, th
Japanese convenience store chains Lawson and FamilyMart are set to launch AI-developed sweets in the coming weeks, marking a first for major Japanese convenience store operators. The companies harnessed AI technology to examine trends of past successful products and craft innovative, unexpected pairings and flavors.
Lawson Inc. will introduce three new products -- a dessert, bread, and salad -- on September 29 in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures. Among the unusual combinations proposed by AI, the "pickle-flavored lemon tart" stands out. Despite the unexpected nature of the pairing, company developers refined the taste to ensure palatability. Lawson aims to sell 10 varieties of AI-conceived sweets by the end of February next year.
FamilyMart Co. will launch a sweet potato canele with caramel sauce for 285 yen on September 22. The dessert's flavor and texture were determined after analyzing point-of-sale data and other relevant information fed into AI algorithms. FamilyMart plans to release a total of 10 AI-generated sweets by the end of February next year.
AI technology is already utilized by convenience store operators for product ordering purposes. Seven-Eleven Japan Co. implemented AI across all its stores in 2023 to enhance operational efficiency. By leveraging weather, day-of-week patterns, and historical sales data, the company can forecast demand and optimize inventory levels. This technology has reportedly reduced the time spent on ordering operations by around 40 percent.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
