NYT Cooking AI assistant helps customize recipes
The Verge: NYT Cooking’s AI assistant saved my weeknight chicken, but almost ruined my cake
The NYT Cooking app now has a built in AI assistant. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Around 7PM each weeknight, I find myself standing in front of the fridge, trying to decide on something for dinner that won't make my husband complain, "Chicken again?" Yes, I should meal plan more, but I don't, so this is where I'm at. A nightly battle in which the chicken usually wins. Recently, my best weapon in this fight has been AI. Between Alexa Plus in the Echo smart display
Get smart on it
NYT Cooking has introduced an AI assistant feature that allows users to customize recipes by asking questions in a text box on the recipe page, such as requesting ingredient substitutions or scaling recipes for different dietary needs and serving sizes. The assistant was trained on user comments from the app and suggests modifications while keeping the original recipe intact and creating a new version for reference. According to testing, the tool proved practical for adapting recipes based on available ingredients and provided cooking guidance, though it occasionally made errors like nearly halving required butter in a cake recipe. The feature addresses a real cooking challenge by offering quick solutions without requiring users to read through hundreds of comments, and it refuses to accept unreasonable requests, treating AI as a helpful kitchen tool rather than an infallible guide.
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