Biodun.BBC: sony

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Robochef: Sony cooks up new AI unit for food revolution

Issued on: 20/11/2019 - 06:44Modified: 20/11/2019 - 08:43 GMT/ZULU

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Tokyo

by Xian Wan and France24 Technology reporters

Cooking robots and tastier recipes: Japanese electronics giant Sony on Wednesday launched a new artificial intelligence unit they hope will change the way we cook and eat.

The new research arm, Sony AI, will operate in Japan, Europe and the United States and also focus on the traditional areas of gaming, imaging and sensor equipment, as well as "gastronomy".

The firm that produced the PlayStation franchise and the "Spider-man" movie series is the latest multinational tech company wanting a piece of the pie in the food business, where data are increasingly driving new dishes to pique the palate.

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"AI and robotics will not replace chefs. We are aiming to offer new tools to expand their creativity with AI and robotics," Sony spokesman Shinichi Tobe told us at France24.

"The field of food requires a study of molecular structures. By using AI and its analytical capacity, we can create new things," Tobe said.

"It involves taste, but also aroma. Through sensing technologies, we can perhaps create new dishes that will please the human sense of taste," he said.

The Tokyo-based gadget-and-entertainment conglomerate is not the only tech company tapping into this seam.

IBM earlier this year teamed up with seasoning maker McCormick to use artificial intelligence in flavour and food product development.

In the future, Sony foresees the creation of a robotic kitchen to help elderly people make meals at home, but without use of open flames.

It may also result in the creation of a restaurant where robots cook in front of guests.

"There might be ways of cooking that can only be done by robotics. It might be about temperature control. Maybe about precise timings of when or where to apply heat," Tobe said.

Woman wears virtual reality headset at Consumer Electtronics Show in Las Vegas

by Emily Straton and Biodun Iginla, BBC News Business reporters, London. Disclosure: Emily Straton and Biodun Iginla dated in 2008 when Biodun Iginla was flitting between New York and London.

Sony will move its European headquarters from the UK to the Netherlands to avoid disruptions caused by Brexit.

The company said the move would help it avoid customs issues tied to Britain's exit from the EU, according to AFP.

Despite the move, Sony won't shift personnel and operations from the existing UK operations.

It is the latest Japanese company to flag a move to the continent in response to Brexit.

The UK is on course to leave the European Union in March, but the two sides have yet to strike a deal.

On a recent trip to the UK, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed concern over a no-deal Brexit.

He said it could hurt Japanese companies, which employ up to 150,000 people in the UK.

Electronics firms switch off

Sony spokesperson Takashi Iida told AFP the move would make Sony a "company based in the EU" so the common customs procedures will apply to Sony's European operations after Britain leaves the bloc.

Sony's rival Panasonic has already moved its headquarters to Amsterdam, mostly because of tax issues potentially created by Brexit.

Both companies say the decision is unlikely to have a major impact on jobs in the UK.

When Panasonic announced its move, it said "fewer than approximately 10" people would be affected out of a staff of 30.

Bank withdrawal

Several Japanese firms, including MUFG, Nomura Holdings, Daiwa Securities and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, have said they plan to move their main EU bases out of London.

Japanese bank Norinchukin announced earlier this month that it would set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands in response to Brexit and other economic changes in Europe.