The day may not be far away when the beer that you sip on will have been created by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Carlsberg, one of the most recognised beverage brands globally, is turning to AI with its Beer Fingerprinting Project, to develop new beers and improve quality control.

The project, whose purpose is measuring and sensing flavours and aromas in beer, will see Carlsberg collaborating with Microsoft, and two universities – Aarhus University and The Technical University of Denmark.  

According to Jochen Förster, Director and Professor of Yeast Fermentation, Carlsberg Research Laboratory, currently there is no such rapid technology that can differentiate the complex textures of flavours.

“No rapid assays exist today for the determination of flavour compounds in beverages but it is crucial that we can do this to ensure that the laboratory continues to develop beer of the highest possible quality and provide a model for brewing in Denmark and the rest of the world,” said Förster.

Using sensor technology and AI, the project hopes to develop ‘novel’ yeast for beer varieties such as  alcohol-free, craft, core and specialty. Reduced time and cost to develop new beers would be one of the key benefits of the initiative. Apart from beverages, the Danish brewing company is also considering exploring the application of the technology in other industries such as pharmaceuticals and food.

The food and beverage industry across the globe has been seeing an astronomical rise in the adoption of of AI.

Earlier this year there were reports of Coco-Cola experimenting with AI. Cherry Sprite,the company’s latest offering, is a result of this investment. It was created based on the data collected by monitoring the preferred combination of drinks at its self-serving vending machines. Currently, it is working on a virtual assistant which will interact with customers. Better understanding of customer preferences is the underlying focus of the venture.

American coffee giant, Starbucks, has also been working on incorporating AI in its Starbucks Rewards members’ accounts. Called the Digital Flywheel Program, it will reportedly be able to make food and drinks suggestions based on factors such as order history, time of the day, day of the week and weather conditions.

With even the beverage industry joining the AI bandwagon, the game-changing technology seems to be attaining an omnipresent status.