The BTC company and OriginTrail presented a project of using artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, such as the blockchain technology, to ensure transparency and traceability of the origin of the meat in the City Restaurant in BTC City Ljubljana. The aim of the project is to highlight and encourage local and sustainable offer by using AI, while at the same time showing the broad spectrum of usability and user-friendliness of all these technologies.
At the event, Miha Mermal, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at the BTC company, with Žiga Drev and Tomaž Levak, CEOs and co-founders of OriginTrail, presented how artificial intelligence (AI) supported with verifiable sources of information and the OriginTrail technology enables the transparency and traceability of the origin of the meat that the City Restaurant provides for its guests as part of its offer. “This groundbreaking step presents the first integration of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies in the HORECA sector in Slovenia. This project also shatters all the myths about the use of artificial intelligence (e.g., the myth of AI being used predominantly for futuristic applications and not for everyday use) and presents its broad spectrum of usability and user-friendliness,” said Žiga Drev during the project’s presentation.
The guests had the opportunity of trying out a solution themselves. By simply scanning the QR code on the City Restaurant’s menu, they were able to check the origin of the meat and also pose questions to the AI-based chatbot and receive replies to them in an interactive way. The reply about the origin of the meat also included the description of a farm, its photo and the map with its location. If the users wanted to learn more about the meat on their plates, they could ask questions about it, its processing, its quality certificates, sustainable approaches used by partners, as well as about the technology used in this solution, powering the chatbot.
By employing the OriginTrail technology, the users were able to check the source and validity of the information on the basis of which the AI presented them with replies. The credibility of information is protected with the blockchain technology, a technology used to power cryptocurrencies. Most of the users’ questions were about the production path and sustainability commitments of participants which attests to the users’ interest in sustainable approaches and food production.
“At the BTC company, we are aware of the potential that advanced technologies bring to the business processes. That’s why we are pleased to be able to contribute, in cooperation with OriginTrail, to the inclusion of advanced technologies in the HORECA sector. The project has enabled greater transparency and traceability of the origin of meat products for visitors of the City Restaurant. With that, we also want to encourage local production and ensure high quality and freshness of dishes on our menu. We believe that the project served as an example and encouragement for further development of sustainable and technologically advanced solutions in this sector and on a broader scale. We are aware of the importance of sustainability and transparency in this day and age; therefore, in the year, when we are celebrating 70 years of the company’s business operations, we are committed to further our operations in this field as well,” pointed out Miha Mermal.
All the participating partners are striving towards expanding the use of this technology also onto other restaurants, products and initiatives. By paying attention to the users’ questions in the chat, the project partners will gain additional insight into the interests of their users. In this way, they will be able to applicably adjust their approaches and offer and improve the wholesome user experience.
About OriginTrail:
OriginTrail is an ecosystem that with technological solutions builds a trustworthy knowledge infrastructure. With the accelerated development of AI, such infrastructure is particularly relevant as it enables connecting with various AI technologies and it also addresses the growing challenge of fake and misleading information. It allows for excellent linking of data and ensures its integrity by using the blockchain technology. With the AI technology, OriginTrail enables gaining the most significant system-related knowledge and the verification of sources of information.
PHOTO: Matic Kremžar
