Researchers are trying to see how emotional intelligence can be brought to AI in their novel work involving food preferences.
Eating Habits as a Focus of Emotional Intelligence
Saptarshi Das, who is an associate professor of engineering science and mechanisms from Penn State, stressed that the eating habits of humans are good examples of emotional intelligence. They also exemplify the connection between the body's psychological and physiological state.
What people eat is widely affected by the gustation process, which involves how people's sense of taste aids in deciding what to eat based on preferences for specific flavors. Gustation differs from hunger, which is the physiological reason why people eat.
Das explains that if someone has a wide array of food choices to choose from, they will end up choosing the food that they prefer the most. It is likely that people will opt for something sweet compared to something bitter.
In fact, people who feel full after a heavy lunch and still have room for a slice of cake after may testify that people can eat what they love even if they do not feel hungry. In such cases, one would eat even if the physiological condition had already been satisfied. The psychological condition, however, still wants satisfaction. This may spur one to eat despite not being hungry.
ALSO READ : Emojify Shows How AI Emotion Recognition Technology Works and its Implications to Society
Electronic Tongue and Gustatory Cortex
The researchers then came up with a biomimetic version of the process that covers the human tongue's receptors converting chemical information into electrical impulses. In the natural case, these impulses are transmitted to the neurons in the gustatory cortex of the brain. This is where cortical circuits are. These circuits affect taste perfection.
They then developed an electronic gustatory cortex and electronic tongue out of 2D materials. The artificial taste buds they developed consist of small graphene electronic sensors known as chemitransistors. These sensors are capable of picking up chemical or gas molecules.
The circuit's other part utilizes memtransistors, which is capable of remembering earlier signals.
This enabled the researchers to come up with an electronic gustatory cortex that links the psychological appetite neuron, physiological hunger neuron, and feeding circuit.
Engineering science doctoral student Subir Ghosh, who is a co-author of the study, explains that, for example, when picking up salt, the device will be able to detect ions of sodium. This means that the device is capable of tasting salt.
The researchers were able to combine different nanomaterials and, resultantly, take the strengths of each material to come up with a gustatory-mimicking circuit. The process is quite versatile as it could work on the five main taste profiles, namely, salty, bitter, sweet, sour, and umami.
AI Emotional Intelligence
Das, who is also a corresponding author of the study, says that the electronic gustatory system could lead to a wide array of applications, EQ-based and AI-curated diets or personalized meals in restaurants. The next objective of the team would be to broaden the range of the electronic tongue and even produce an integrated gustatory chip.
They also envision that this system could translate to other senses, including tactile, audio, visual, and olfactory emotional intelligence.
The behavior of humans is complex and involves an intricate link between psychological urges and physiological needs. Though AI has seen great developments, these systems do not cover human intelligence's psychological side, including emotional intelligence. The researchers are hopeful that their work could help fill in this gap.
Check out more news and information on Artificial Intelligence in Science Times.
