A Japanese bakery utilizes AI to create ‘romance bread’ aimed at youth wary of love

What does love taste like? It’s a question that likely elicits various responses depending on who you ask. Some may liken it to the bittersweetness of dark chocolate, while others may describe it as decadently sweet, akin to a luscious cupcake.

In Japan, one bakery chain is harnessing technology to explore this intriguing question. Kimuraya, the country’s oldest bakery, has joined forces with NEC Corp, a Japanese electronics company, to introduce what they’ve coined as “Ren AI Pan” – or “AI Romance Bread.”

This innovative collaboration aims to encapsulate the essence of love through the creation of five distinct flavors, each inspired by different facets of romantic feelings. NEC employed its AI technology to analyze conversations from a reality dating show and songs containing references to fruits and sweets. Through this analysis, they identified five key emotions associated with romance: first encounter, first date, jealousy, heartbreak, and mutual love. Subsequently, Kimuraya Bakery utilized these findings to craft a range of fluffy steamed breads, each representing a unique aspect of the romantic journey.

The flavors, derived from the emotional cues identified by AI, are as diverse as the stages of love they seek to emulate. For instance, “Fateful Encounter” bread is infused with the airy sweetness of cotton candy, symbolizing the initial sparks of attraction. On the other hand, “Jealousy” bread boasts a blend of purple sweet potatoes, truffle oil, and raisins, evoking the complex emotions of envy and insecurity.

This innovative approach to bread-making reflects a shared objective between Kimuraya and NEC: to appeal to younger generations of Japanese consumers. Market research revealed a growing disinterest among youth in pursuing romantic relationships, despite a lingering desire for love and companionship. Recognizing this gap, the collaboration aimed to stimulate interest in romance through a novel gastronomic experience.

To bring these conceptual breads to life, NEC employed two AI technologies: “NEC Enhanced Speech” for speech-to-text conversion and “NEC Data Enrichment” for emotion scoring. By analyzing conversations from a popular dating show and extracting lyrics from thousands of love-related songs, AI generated a visual map linking specific emotions to corresponding flavors.

While AI played a pivotal role in ingredient selection, human expertise was indispensable in the bread-making process. Yuki Kitazawa, a developer at Kimuraya bakery, emphasized the human touch involved in translating AI-generated concepts into tangible bread products. Attention was paid to color schemes and visual presentation to convey the romantic essence of each flavor.

“Ren AI Pan” offers consumers a unique opportunity to taste the nuances of love through an unexpected medium – bread. By blending cutting-edge technology with traditional baking techniques, Kimuraya and NEC have crafted a culinary experience that not only tantalizes the taste buds but also stimulates the imagination, inviting individuals to explore the multifaceted nature of romance in a truly innovative way.