Anthropology of food and artificial intelligence

Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

In just a few decades, artificial intelligence has gone from being a concept steeped in futuristic connotations to becoming a commonplace tool in our daily lives. The emergence of natural language processing models like ChatGPT has not only helped break down the barriers that traditionally separated specialists and programmers from users without technical knowledge but has also made evident the potential of these tools in task automation, problem-solving, or—to mention an example that takes shape as I press the keys on my computer—the structuring of ideas for a scientific journal editorial.

The advances introduced by artificial intelligence seem to have left almost no one indifferent, least of all in the scientific field. In the realm of Social Sciences, its accessibility has opened the door to exploring new lines of inquiry while also allowing for a renewed perspective on longstanding issues. In the case of Anthropology, which is grounded in its holistic, comparative, and situated vocation, the debate has been enriched by those who question the displacement (or replacement) that artificial intelligence may introduce when analyzing and interpreting empirical material—an endeavor still imbued with a certain artisanal aura. Others openly challenge its use, given the profoundly human biases underlying the development of algorithmic systems.

In this editorial, I aim to outline some pathways to address the question so generously posed by the editorial team for this new issue of Archives on Food, Culture, and Nutrition: What are the