Will a robot
soon cook for us?
A critical design project on the future of food: robots cook, an algorithm compiles the menu. Built 1:1 and staged as a commercial, deliberately exaggerated.
What happens to food when robots cook and an algorithm decides what our body needs? Nutritions First follows this future through to its logical conclusion and puts it up for debate.
From a robot commission to a question
It began with a real commission from the Leipzig start-up DaVinci Kitchen: a kitchen unit in which a robot arm does the cooking. That raised the question of how robotics and machine learning will change the restaurant trade when skilled staff are scarce and robots keep getting cheaper.
The "Health & Food Club"
In the concept, robots take over the kitchen and service, while nutrition coaches advise the guests. Instead of conventional dishes there are isolated nutrients: determined from DNA and blood work, compiled by the "Electronic Nutrition Assistant" and delivered to your seat automatically.
Built 1:1, staged as a commercial
Everything was built 1:1 in the vacant atrium of the Intecta in Halle: the robot counter and the club took shape in three weeks. The commercial followed: two shooting days with twelve extras each, plus interviews with a master chef and a nutritionist.
The critical view
The film quotes real, scientifically questionable advertising claims from the dietary-supplement industry and exposes their manipulation. In the end, one question remains: do we want a robot to cook for us? And are we willing to accept the loss of craft, the careless handling of data and the turn away from natural food?
