Column: Whisky and Artificial Intelligence - What Does This Mean for the Future?

News broke out this week about AI (artificial intelligence) being better equipped to differentiate between American and Scottish whisky than a panel of experts. The focus was on specific aroma aspects, such as caramel and smokiness. It's certainly food for thought. What does this mean for the future?

What more could be possible? If AI gets adept at identifying scents, then a master blender may soon become redundant if computers can be commanded to concoct the perfect blend. Like music and art, this of course raises questions. Will jobs be lost? How will AI be applied exactly and within which whisky sectors?

Investors in expensive whisky would be ecstatic if predictions could be made regarding which (still unknown) whiskies will significantly appreciate in value in the coming years. Based on historical data, plenty can be predicted. Would AI have been able to predict the Springbank hype? It seemed to come out of nowhere and has since significantly dropped. A crystal ball seems a better tool for predicting the future.

Based on societal trends, AI could potentially estimate which unique tastes will become popular in the future. Perhaps AI might foresee a vodka whisky fusion as Putin and Trump become best buddies in 2025. Whether you're looking forward to that is a different matter. But you might imagine that the strangest things could come together all at once.

That brings us right to a moral dilemma. What kind of impact will this have on quality control? A whisky brand thrives on consistent and identifiable taste. To create a blend from more than 40 single malts is quite an achievement. And what about a personalized blend based on your personal preferences?

In short, the possibilities are boundless in this traditionally water, barley, and yeast-based world. But whether everything can and will be implemented is the next question. Who knows what awaits us.