TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hungkuang University in Taichung held a cooking competition during which two students from its Department of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management competed against an AI-powered cooking machine — which narrowly won.
On Friday, the university held a seminar on how the hospitality sector can innovate amid technological advancements. The school said the cooking competition was part of the event to highlight the strengths and collaborative potential of humans and machines, per CNA.
The competition featured Hakka cuisine. Students holding Chinese culinary chef certifications spent six minutes stir-frying the dishes, while an AI-powered machine prepared the same dishes in four minutes, with operators adding ingredients and seasonings under its guidance.
Thirteen seminar attendees sampled the dishes blindly and voted, with the machine narrowly defeating the students seven to six.
Wu Sung-lien (吳松濂), director of the department, said the machine uses data analysis and programming to prepare dishes, allowing it to maintain consistent quality, but it lacks creativity and is less able to adjust recipes based on individual tastes. He added that cooking by humans can better convey a dish’s cultural significance and bring out the “human touch.”
University Principal Su Hung-i (蘇弘毅) said that AI technology is driving innovation in the hospitality sector, from smart dining and unmanned hotels to personalized services and sustainable management. In response, the school has introduced hands-on courses to integrate AI into hospitality education.
In Taiwan, 70% of hospitality businesses face long-term labor shortages, mainly due to long working hours, shift schedules, and low wages averaging NT$35,000 (US$1,110) monthly.
Housekeeping and cleaning roles are the most affected, with a shortfall of 6,600 workers. To address this, the government will allow the hiring of foreign migrant workers for housekeeping, cleaning, front desk, as well as food and beverage positions starting next year.
Many businesses are also adopting technology, including delivery robots, self-service ordering machines, and automatic beverage makers. The cooking machine used in the competition can prepare up to 2,500 dishes, the university added.
