AI-powered ‘tongue’ Could Replace Wine Experts — How Close Are We?

Researchers have created an "electronic tongue" that can recognise liquids, assess their freshness, and even assign grades to drinks like wine.

This innovation raises the possibility that AI technology may soon support or perhaps replace food quality management and beverage evaluations. Photo Credit: Deputy

The idea that artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually replace human labour is not new, but what would happen if technology could take the position of a food quality inspector or wine sommelier? Researchers have created an “electronic tongue” that can recognise liquids, assess their freshness, and even assign grades to drinks like wine.

What Is the AI Tongue?

This electronic tongue was created by Penn State University researchers to identify chemical characteristics in liquids using electrodes. After the gadget collects this data, artificial intelligence (AI) modelling neural networks—which function similarly to the sensory processing in the human brain—analyse the data to identify the liquid or assess its quality.

In experiments, the system was able to detect spoilt milk, distinguish between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and function with 80% accuracy. This innovation raises the possibility that AI technology may soon support or perhaps replace food quality management and beverage evaluations.

AI and the Future of Wine Recommendations

The study also explored the potential for AI to go beyond basic identification and make wine recommendations based on quality and taste. In trials, a robot tongue was even capable of detecting when wine had gone bad. One of the lead researchers, Saptarshi Das, explained the goal of mimicking the human tasting process, which involves more than just the tongue. “The tongue sends information to the gustatory cortex, part of the brain’s neural network, to create a full sensory experience,” he was quoted by The Sun.

A New Era of Food and Beverage Evaluation?

This technology has the ability to guarantee the freshness and authenticity of food and beverage products. By providing reliable, objective assessments, this might completely transform sectors like winemaking and food processing that depend on sensory specialists.

Although AI sommelier bots are still in the early stages of development, these results imply that electronic tongues may soon be used extensively for product recommendations and quality assurance. Although it’s unclear if they will completely replace human expertise, the combination of artificial intelligence and sensory analysis provides an intriguing look at the direction that food and drink technology is taking.