Dubai can always be counted on to do something wacky in search of attention. The newest craze that the city with far too much money is hopping on board is artificial intelligence. Specifically, the city will see the launch of a restaurant headed up by an AI.
Dubai-ous utility
The restaurant, called WooHoo (or WOOHOO, if you’re overly attached to branding), will open in Dubai in September this year. The reason for going, aside from snapping shots for Instagram with other rich people, is that the menu will be set by a cooking-inclined artificial intelligence called Chef Aiman. AI-man. Get it?
The eatery is less impressive than it first sounds. Humans will still be in the loop, physically cooking the items Aiman dictates. That much was always a given. But the AI-generated recipes are also subject to review by a team headed by Dubai-based chef Reif Othman.
This is where the ‘less impressive’ bit comes in. If WooHoo’s large-language-model star cook manages to screw things up, trained human cooks will step in to make sure no customers are left disappointed. The eatery menu won’t be run by an AI as much as its contents will be heavily suggested by one. The latter is a far less impressive claim, one less likely to convince diners to head to the vicinity of the Burj Khalifa and try out the computer-created concoctions.
Still, Chef Aiman may not remain exclusive to Dubai forever. WooHoo’s founders reckon the AI, which is designed to use ingredients that typically end up as waste, might eventually be licensed to other restaurants. The idea is that it could create dishes that use off-cuts and similar products, improving sustainable cooking practices anywhere folks are willing to pay a license fee.
