Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor has called for embracing artificial intelligence in the culinary sector rather than resisting it, arguing that technological evolution is inevitable and chefs must move forward with innovation. Speaking in an exclusive conversation with IANS, Kapoor stressed that the cooking industry should view AI as a collaborator, not a threat.

Kapoor's stance on culinary technology

"Whether it is AI or any other technology, we always need to adapt to it, and we have — it may be the internet era or the AI," Kapoor said. "There is always going to be something new, and we will have to move forward along with it. So we should not be scared of the new technology, we should try to work along with it." The veteran chef, who rose to prominence through his iconic cooking show Khana Khazana, framed technological adoption as essential to the industry's evolution.

AI-powered cooking series on the horizon

Hansal Mehta, a director of Khana Khazana and known for films like Scoop, is spearheading India's first AI-powered cooking series, titled Khana Dil Se. The project represents a significant milestone in the intersection of technology and culinary storytelling, positioning AI not merely as a visual tool but as an active participant in narrative construction.

Food as cultural heritage

In describing the deeper significance of cooking, Mehta articulated food as a vessel of cultural memory and historical continuity. "The use of AI will not just be as a visual and imagination tool, but as a collaborator in the storytelling itself. 'Khana Dil Se' reclaims food as a living cultural heritage," he explained. Mehta further elaborated: "When you cook something from another culture, you are not just following a recipe, you are stepping into a piece of someone else's life. A recipe carries within it an entire history: of land, of migration, of a grandmother's hands. These are probably humanity's most durable cultural documents, passed down through generations, across borders, surviving when almost nothing else does. That's what makes food such an honest way to look at people and who they really are."

The broader implications

The convergence of AI and culinary arts signals a shift in how food content is created and consumed in India. Rather than displacing traditional cooking knowledge, this technological integration aims to deepen storytelling around food's cultural and historical dimensions. The initiative underscores a growing recognition that technology, when thoughtfully applied, can enhance rather than diminish the human and cultural aspects of cuisine.