If AI can design a taco, what can it not do?
While some experts were worrying about AI’s threat of human extinction, Dallas-based Velvet Taco embraced the potential for ChatGPT-4 to do something even more formidable: come up with a tasty taco idea.
The result: Today the fast-casual restaurant chain launched its new “Chat GPTaco” as part of its weekly taco feature.
Billboard for the ChatGPTaco from Velvet Taco. [Photo: Velvet Taco]
Available through July 25, the taco came to life through the generative AI platform with guidance from Velvet Taco culinary director and chef Venecia Willis. The potential taco recipe was limited only by the chain’s “proprietary taco formula and ingredient list.”
So what did ChatGPT-4 come up with? “The first-ever AI-generated taco”—made from flank steak, blackened shrimp, red chile aioli, chimichurri, crispy potatoes, grilled onion, queso fresco, jalapeño, and cilantro. All wrapped up in a corn tortilla.
“Using the software from Chat GPT for a recipe piqued my interest, and I was pleasantly surprised with the combinations it created,” Willis said in a statement. “I believe chefs can embrace the technology to enhance our menu ideation process and use it as a tool to support the creative elements that go into producing and executing a cohesive menu item
‘Delivering the unexpected’
CEO Clay Dover added that “Velvet Taco is all about breaking barriers and delivering the unexpected.”
“We want our whole home town to know about the ChatGPTaco and make sure they have a chance to visit one of our restaurants and give it a try,” Dover said. “The ChatGPTaco represents the marriage of food and tech and creativity in a way I’ve not seen before in the restaurant space. We’re really excited.”
Billboards promoting the $6.25 AI-generated taco are popping up around the Dallas area, and ads are spreading the news in local radio spots, too.
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
To support positive schoolroom behavior while making learning fun and (literally) rewarding, RedCritter's new AI- and ChaptGPT-powered product suite enables students to do lots of things. Like interviewing a historical character. Receiving personal tutoring on any topic. Learning a language, learning to code, and more.
-
MacDonald was part of a panel discussion at UT Dallas, in partnership with The Dallas Morning News, aimed at clearing up misconceptions about ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that’s gone viral. The panel featured four UTD scientists—Xinya Du, Gopal Gupta, Dale MacDonald, and Jessica Ouyang—and was moderated by Adithi Ramakrishnan, science reporter at the DMN.
-
Innovators across North Texas and entrepreneurs all over the U.S. are racing to launch (and patent) the latest breakthrough AI. That can lead to IP policy issues as emerging tech hits the market. On February 8, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will a public meeting to discuss how to promote innovation in AI and Machine Learning tech, to be held virtually and in person at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas. "The takeaways will shape future work on AI and ET policy," says USPTO Director Kathi Vidal.
-
The request was made in an open letter signed by major players including Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI, the lab that created ChatGPT and GPT-4; Emad Mostaque, founder of the London-based Stability AI; and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. More than 1,000 artificial intelligence experts, researchers, and backers signed the letter, including academics from UT Dallas.
-
Oscar, the AI-powered robotic trash can at AT&T's downtown Dallas HQ, can spot a recyclable in nothing flat. Developed by Vancouver, Canada-based Intuitive AI, the robot checks out any trash item you hold up to it and tells you whether it goes in its recycling, compost, or landfill bins.
