WASHINGTON, DC – The Food Institute is hosting a webinar on AI, Automation and Their Impact on the Food Industry on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. CDT in partnership with BMO Harris Bank. 

There is no question that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have disrupted the food industry. From food manufacturing to foodservice and retail, many companies have already started implementing AI and automation in a variety of ways.  

The advent of COVID-19 has further accelerated adoption and investment in this technology. This webinar will shed light on the current state of AI and automation in the food industry, and bring a real-world example of how a leading robotics company (Simbe Robotics) is teaming with a world-class food retailer (Schnucks) to bring efficiencies to their operations.  

Industry experts will address these key questions: 

  • What is the current state of AI/automation in the food industry today? 

  • What are the specific areas that AI/automation is impacting manufacturing, foodservice, and food retail? 

  • What are the lessons learned in implementing AI/automation specifically in the food retail space? 

  • What should be the decision tree analysis for food industry executives looking to implement automation/AI? 

  • What can we expect in the future? 

Speakers will include: 

  • Brad Bogolea - CEO and co-founder of Simbe Robotics, where he is responsible for the company’s vision and execution of its leading automation solution for the retail industry. In November 2015, Brad brought to market the Tally robot, the world's first autonomous shelf auditing and analytics solution to help retailers ensure merchandise is always stocked, in the right place, and correctly priced.  

  • Dave Steck joined Schnucks in 2014 and serves as vice president of IT infrastructure and application development. In total, Dave has more than 30 years of IT experience having previously worked for Express Scripts, Blue Cross Blue Shield and McDonnell Douglas. At Schnucks, Dave oversaw the introduction and expansion of robotics into the daily operations of the supermarket chain. 

  • Decker Walker is the global topic leader for Agribusiness and has worked extensively in Boston Consulting Group’s Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia / New Zealand systems and author of BCG's annual publication: "Making Hay: Value Creation in Agribusiness." He is also a core member of the Corporate Finance practice, focused on M&A and merger integration. 

Register for the webinar here.