World Grain - September 2024 - 38

the process
Potential seen for AI to achieve another level of efficiency and effectiveness
in milling even as minding the flour remains in human hands
by John Reidy
F
ew things are more profoundly human than harvesting
wheat and milling it into flour to make
food that feeds millions of people every day. It
has been this way for thousands of years, even as everadvancing
technology, a product of the creative human
mind, has helped make the process more efficient, productive
and healthy in recent decades.
Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is generating excitement
as another step in the evolution of technology, and
by extension, flour milling. Industry suppliers and observers
see a great opportunity to put an exciting new tool
in the hands of humans in a number of specific applications
that, while not altering the best-practices and basics
of milling, can continue to give rise to a more effective
process that remains challenged by climate change and
the nutritional needs of a growing population.
" I believe AI is a disruptive technology that will impact
all aspects of our lives, such as the internet and cellphones
(have), " said William Gonzalez, solutions architect for
Bühler, Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota, US. " The milling industry
should look forward to adopting AI and machine
learning to make better use of its resources, become more
profitable, and remain relevant in the market. "
Customers of Italy-based Omas Industries have been
expressing interest in the possibilities of AI, said Pietro
Barbalarga, commercial director, though reactions to
the emerging technology have varied.
" Many (customers) are excited about the possibilities
AI offers, viewing it as a way to improve productivity
and reduce costs, " Barbalarga said. " However, there
are also concerns about initial costs, the complexity of
implementation, and the need for specialized skills to
manage these new technologies. "
Turkey is the world's largest exporter of wheat flour,
and the country's Association of Milling Machinery
Manufacturers (DESMÜD) has recognized its mem38
bership's
interest in AI, which it described as a prominent
topic during January's World Economic Forum
meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
" Today, research and development scientists are
advancing at an astonishing pace in imitating learning,
questioning and perception so that artificial intelligence
technology is becoming more and more
advanced, " said Zeki Demirtaşoglu, president of
DESMÜD, in a statement on the topic he issued in
January. " While some people think that these innovators
will soon be able to develop systems that surpass
the human capacity to learn or evaluate any subject,
others remain skeptical because all cognitive activity
is embedded in value judgments that are subject to
human experience. "
Jeff Gwirtz is president of JAG Services Inc., a milling
industry consultant based in Lawrence, Kansas,
US, and a former milling science professor at Kansas
State University. With decades of experience, Gwirtz
has witnessed the increased use of technology in a variety
of mill settings.
He said he sees opportunity for AI, but some aspects,
he thinks, are currently beyond the technology's ability
to fully comprehend the human interaction and wheat
behavior within the milling process. As a professor, he
took students into the old mill to show them manual
processes so they could better appreciate what happens
during the milling process, no matter how automated
and cutting-edge the technology has become.
" I feel like there is a tremendous opportunity for AI, but
it's a matter of taking advantage of what's being done with
the automation and monitoring of machine information to
looking at what's happening actually to the product as it
moves through the system, and until we can do both, I'm
not sure how beneficial AI can be in terms of operating the
milling process, " he said.
September 2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
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World Grain - September 2024

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