Korean kimchi makers turn to AI for quality control, as population falls and export demand rises thanks to popularity of Korean wave
- Korean kimchi, which is finding fans overseas as the popularity of Korean cultural exports grows, normally undergoes human quality control during its production
- The use of AI for quality control has been tested in South Korean kimchi factories, in an effort to speed up production and make the product more consistent
By Ko Dong-hwan
Data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to guarantee the high quality of mass-produced kimchi for global consumers, according to a state-run kimchi laboratory in South Korea.
This technological approach marks a departure from the traditional method of pickled cabbage making, which has historically relied on the human touch.
The World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim) announced the successful development of this technology following a six-month joint project that concluded in December 2023.
The collaboration involved a domestic AI developer and a digital education consulting firm. The primary objectives of the project were to construct a data set necessary for quality checks on kimchi and to create an AI model capable of analysing the collected data.
In collaboration with data solution provider Catalonix and educational technology service developer SLI (Solution Learning Innovation), both based in Seoul, WiKim succeeded in constructing a comprehensive data set.