Can an ethical and algorithmically transparent cloud kitchen prevent future Amazon fires?
We often view AI with suspicion – but AI can be used to solve complex problems currently facing society where innovative approaches are needed
For many of us, the Amazon fires are disturbing and a serious problem because the Amazon cannot be recovered once its gone.
It seems that there is nothing we can do to mitigate this man-made (and economically driven) disaster.
However, I believe that in the very near future we can
And the solution maybe to create a spirit of activism through transparent algorithms to bring about social change
Two technologies could be key – and they are both currently viewed with some suspicion
Algorithmic transparency is viewed with concern i.e. regulators are forcing us to create transparent algorithms. However, transparent algorithms could lead to a competitive advantage as I explain below
The second technology is Cloud Kitchens, The VC Michael Moritz recently spoke of the disruptive nature of Cloud Kitchens and it’s negative connotations on the restaurant industry.
However, a combination of Cloud kitchens and algorithmic transparency (coupled with blockchain) could provide a complete end-to-end transparency across the entire food chain
All these components exist but we just need an ‘ethical and algorithmically transparent’ cloud kitchen to put it all together.
A cloud kitchen is a restaurant with no dine-in facility i.e. serving customers through Cloud providers like Deliveroo, Just-Eat etc. In that sense, it has a business model based on disrupting existing restaurants.
But a cloud kitchen driven by values could be extremely disruptive
And those values are likely to be those of urban, younger, socially and environmentally conscious customers
Informed by transparent algorithms, they will take value-based decisions – favourable to the environment
With a single swipe of an app – they can include / remove a specific component in the food value chain (for example a farm responsible for clearing forests in the amazon) – making the food value chain transparent, accountable and values-based.
This idea could extend to other things that customers value – for example – the ethical treatment of animals
We thus remove the commercial incentive to damage the environment and encourage a values-based culture
The idea is not far-fetched
Millennials are dramatically changing food logistics driven by the … – such as rejecting canned food and excessive packaging
Vegan food has become the UK’s fastest growing takeaway
Through ethical and algorithmically transparent cloud kitchen, we are just making explicit – what is already a trend
The views expressed in this article are personal and not affiliated to any organization I am associated with.
Image source: BBC
