More than 100 projects are set to benefit from the funding provided by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as select businesses look to test out AI tech across the UK.
The projects will bring together SMEs and research organisations to solve pressing challenges, including reducing food waste; improving road infrastructure; and encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion at work.
This announcement builds on the AI Opportunities Action Plan announced by the Government earlier this week, which sets out its plan to ramp up AI adoption across the UK. The roadmap aims to boost living standards, create jobs and drive economic growth.
“Putting AI to work right across the economy can help businesses cut waste, move faster and be more productive,” said secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Peter Kyle.
“The huge range of projects receiving funding today, from farmers and bakers to those tackling potholes on our roads and mould in residential properties, demonstrates the truly limitless benefits of AI that are there for the taking.”
AI is already being used extensively in UK manufacturing, with findings from the Association for Project Management (APM) revealing that 78% manufacturing project managers have benefited from its use.
Several major F&B companies are already using AI, including the likes of Unilever and Mondelez, but research shows that its implementation in the UK food sector has been more sparse.
According to findings from RAND Europe, which was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to better understand the use of AI in the food system, research within the UK has focused less on translation and implementation. The number of patents published within the UK is significantly fewer than the number registered by the global leaders, the USA.
Research within the UK appears to be concentrated at the beginning stages of research, focused on testing theory or developing new ideas, rather than on developing products for immediate application in industry, or researching the impact of the implementation of new tools.
This new commitment therefore represents a great opportunity to drive future adoption within the sector and the nation as a whole.
How could AI be used in food and drink?
The APM survey flagged specific areas where AI tools have even greater potential to enhance project management outcomes. Performance analysis emerged as the top area for improvement potential, cited by 28% of respondents. This was followed by data analysis at 26%, and administration tasks, such as form-filling and record-keeping, at 25%.
The findings demonstrate that AI is proving particularly valuable in streamlining time-consuming manual tasks, enhancing the accuracy of data analysis, and providing project managers with the insights needed to support strategic decision-making processes.
Within the food and drink supply chain specifically AI holds great potential, with Aptean’s latest trends report showing a keen interest in AI among F&B firms. Its findings showed that 54% are in process of implementing AI – more than double compared to 12 months ago. Meanwhile, 28% are already using AI, compared to just 6% at the end of 2023.
Food and drink companies cited the automation of routine tasks (35%) and better customer insights (33%) as key benefits for AI rollout.
Food safety and AI
But there are also untapped opportunities within food safety which AI could tap into.
In 2023, the FSA investigated how AI could be used to support hygiene inspection. One tool it explored was the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme – AI (FHRS AI) built as a Proof of Concept in collaboration with FSA’s supplier Cognizant Worldwide Limited, to help local authorities become more efficient in managing the hygiene inspection of food establishments. The tool supports local authorities to prioritise which businesses to inspect in the first instance by predicting which establishments might be at a higher risk of non-compliance with food hygiene regulations.
Whilst the FSA said the tool is expected to benefit local authorities, it did not put it into live usage, saying there were ‘multiple reasons and competing priorities’.
Meat inspection is an area the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) is urging government to explore, with its executive director, Dr Jason Aldiss, stating that the recent government commitment to AI represents a “pivotal opportunity to modernise meat inspection processes”.
“AIMS’ view is that meat inspection primarily addresses quality assurance rather than food safety and consequently, we advocate for these inspections to be conducted by food business operators themselves,” Aldiss said
“The integration of AI-driven technologies can facilitate this transition by replacing traditional, costly, and often inefficient human veterinary inspections with advanced, precise, and reliable systems”.
“Recent advancements in AI have demonstrated superior accuracy in detecting conditions on carcasses compared to human inspectors. For instance, AI systems have been shown to identify defects with a higher degree of precision, reducing the margin of error inherent in manual inspections”.
“This technological progression underscores the potential for AI to revolutionise meat inspection protocols, ensuring consistent quality control while optimising operational efficiency”.
The UK government’s AI strategy, which includes plans to expand computing capacity and establish AI growth zones, aligns with AIMS’ vision for the meat industry.
“By embracing AI, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) can adopt more effective and efficient systems, reducing reliance on human inspectors and empowering food business operators to oversee quality assurance directly,” continued Aldiss.
“We urge the FSA and FSS [Food Standards Scotland] to consider the benefits of AI integration in meat inspection processes. Implementing AI-driven systems will not only enhance the accuracy and efficiency of inspections but also position the UK as a leader in adopting innovative technologies within the food industry”.
‘Getting AI policy wrong could have significant implications’
Carl Ennis, CEO at Siemens UK & Ireland – the tech company behind 3,7000 AI patents, ranking it 13th in the world – has also welcomed the move from government to push AI, but has cautioned that policy must reflect the nuances of industrial AI.
“AI has become the technology that will define this decade. Today’s plan indicates, encouragingly, that the Government is taking it seriously – reflecting the already sizeable AI sector in the UK and the opportunities for us to maintain our global leadership,” Ennis said.
“AI for industrial applications has an established heritage in automating industry and infrastructure, built on data generated by machines rather than humans. And it’s here where we hope to see alignment of AI and sectors identified as priorities in the Industrial Strategy green paper.
“In order to ensure that the consumer and industrial uses of AI have opportunities to appropriately support society, policy frameworks must address the specific environments where the technology is being used. The challenge is that, at the same time, we must safeguard properly and ensure we don’t hinder innovation.
“Getting AI policy wrong could have significant implications, including further loss of productivity and slowed economic growth. But, getting it right will provide solutions to the UK’s productivity challenge while accelerating investment in automation and robotics. It is crucial that we quickly take the opportunity to harness AI’s potential while mitigating risks.”