AI at the Table - What Automation Means for Our Food System

From farm to fork, what AI means for your next meal—and the people behind it. Automated greenhouses, voice recognition in fast-food ordering, wearable technology for livestock, dynamic pricing in grocery stores, and autonomous machinery in farm fields—the applications of AI are rapidly transforming the food supply chain. In a timely examination of these applications, Sarah-Louise Ruder and Kelly Bronson reveal how the risks and benefits of AI in food cannot be separated from one another, nor from the fundamental and structural issues in global food systems. From labor and corporate power to sustainability and food security, the uses of AI have profound implications for food production and consumption. But this trajectory is neither inevitable nor predetermined. AI at the Table helps us understand the technologies behind our meals and offers concrete strategies for both individual and collective intervention.