AI Doesn't Have Taste Buds
How ChatGPT inspired my new year’s dinner resolution
Earlier this year, author Joanna Maciejewska tweeted an insight about artificial intelligence that went viral: “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.”
I’ve been reflecting on this statement recently, as I hear more and more about using artificial intelligence for meal planning. Having never used ChatGPT before, I had to give it a try.
I pulled up the site and started typing. “Can you make me a dinner meal plan for 5 days for a family of 4 (two adults, two kids)?” With lighting speed and friendly tone, ChatGPT was at my service. “Certainly!” it responded. “Here’s a 5-day dinner meal plan designed for a family of four (two adults, two kids), with a balance of kid-friendly meals, healthy options, and simple prep. Each meal includes sides and ideas for leftovers to make it easier for you.”
I read through ChatGPT’s suggestions: pasta, baked chicken, tacos, stir fry, pizza. After a few follow up questions, I was fully armed with recipes and a grocery list. By the looks of it, technology had solved my meal planning stress. Yet, something didn’t sit quite right. I felt impressed and also deflated. AI created a perfectly acceptable meal plan, but it was just that. Nothing looked unappetizing, yet not a single meal excited me.
As I chatted with my friendly bot, asking the same question in a number of ways and receiving variations on the same handful of meals, I realized that I didn’t want to just cook dinner - I wanted to enjoy dinner. While I do think ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for brainstorming meal plans or figuring out what to make with the current contents of your refrigerator, I won’t be using it regularly for cooking.
On the outside, making dinner seems like it should fall into the “laundry and dishes” of life. Some days, we do just need food on the table and full bellies. However, I think meals, even weekday dinner, can fall more into the “art and writing” category. Food is a rare aspect of the daily grind that leaves space for creativity and joy. That might mean trying a new recipe or just making something simple that you’re really craving in the moment, like grilled cheese and tomato soup on a cold day.
So, here is my new year’s dinner resolution, thanks (or not thanks) to ChatGPT: to plan one or two dinners a week that genuinely excite me. Along with this, I hope to change my perspective, at least some of the time, from I have to make dinner to I get to make dinner, a practice that has been shown to help build our positive thinking muscles. Dinner offers an opportunity to be more than just routine, and I’m not ready to cede creative control to AI just yet.
Recipes & Links
Paprika Recipe Manager App: When it comes to technology that lightens the load of meal planning while keeping creativity, this one takes the cake. You can easily download recipes into your collection and compile a full shopping list (by grocery store section!) in a few clicks. No subscription is required, but there is a one-time purchase fee per device ($4.99 for iPhone).
Lemon Chicken with Potatoes & Chickpeas, from Smitten Kitchen: An easy one-pan meal for when you’re craving something cozy. Mostly hands-off, it requires just a quick prep before roasting, unattended, while you focus on other things.