SWEETS developed with ideas generated by artificial intelligence will go on sale at Lawson and FamilyMart stores later this month, the operators said Tuesday, marking the first full-scale launch of AI-conceived products by major Japanese convenience store chains.
The companies used AI technology to analyze trends in past hit products and combine unexpected ingredients for their new creations. Lawson Inc will launch three products — a dessert, bread and salad — in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures on 29 September. The company asked AI for “never-before-seen combinations and flavours” and “something that tastes good when you try it,” among other prompts. The 270-yen ($1.75) “pickle-flavoured lemon tart” is one of the unexpected pairings proposed by AI, with product developers refining the taste, according to the company. FamilyMart Co will release a “sweet potato canele with caramel sauce” for 285 yen on 22 September.
The dessert was generated from trends based on point-ofsale data and other information fed into AI, while developers made the final decisions on texture and flavour. FamilyMart aims to sell 10 varieties of sweets created using AI by the end of February next year. AI technology is already used by convenience store operators for product ordering. Seven-Eleven Japan Co introduced AI at all stores in 2023 to improve operational efficiency, using weather, day-of-week patterns and past sales data to forecast demand and calculate appropriate inventory levels. The company said that it has cut time spent on ordering operations by around 40 per cent.
Kyodo
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