Day 1: NumériQc Week – Thematic Day: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sustainable Food

On April 9th, NumériQc Week brought together researchers from the fields of nutrition and health, agri-food, and digital technology working towards sustainable food solutions for a full day of presentations. This event, organized by the INAF-Université Laval teams along with its member entity, the Centre Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS) of the Institute of Intelligence and Data (IID) of Université Laval, and the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) of Sorbonne University, offered attendees insights into how AI can transform the food landscape—from agriculture to metabolism—through a series of engaging lectures.

As part of the strategic partnership between Université Laval and Sorbonne University, this initiative is among the projects selected under the OFQJ and the 69th Permanent Franco-Québec Cooperation Commission (CPCFQ). The CPCFQ is the primary tool for implementing the governmental commitments of Quebec and France, and serves as a selection mechanism for projects benefiting from French and Quebec co-financing.

The opening conference, delivered by Professor Jean-Gabriel Ganascia (Sorbonne University), set the stage with his presentation on the digitization of data in agriculture and food, emphasizing how this advancement can ensure carbon traceability and positively influence consumer food choices.

Following this, Xavier Fresquet (Sorbonne University) continued with a presentation that simplified AI and sustainable food for non-specialists, highlighting the recent impacts of AI on logistics and health. This was complemented by Antonin Lamazière (Sorbonne University), who discussed how metabolomics and AI can revolutionize preventive medicine and personalized nutrition, particularly in the context of fertility.

INAF researchers also shared their work, illustrating the practical application of AI in the agri-food sector:

• Elsa Rousseau (Université Laval) discussed the use of AI to predict individual nutritional biomarkers.
• Laurent Bazinet (Université Laval) addressed the optimization of processes in the agri-food industry through machine learning.
• Sébastien Villeneuve (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) explored how AI can accelerate the digital and sustainable transformation of the food supply chain.

The day was enriched by industry presentations:

• Alain Simard presented on the Petit Cactus app, which uses AI to support young people with diabetes.
• Louis St-Laurent shared recent achievements of INO in agri-vision.

The day concluded with a discussion panel, “Collaborative Learning in AI and Nutrition-Health: Feedback and Experiences,” moderated by Benoît Lamarche, Director of the NUTRISS Center at INAF, and Xavier Fresquet, Deputy Director of SCAI. This panel featured several students from INAF and SCAI who participated in the France-Quebec Summer School on Artificial Intelligence and Nutrition-Health in 2023.

Day 2: Student Symposium and Practical Workshop: Using AI as a Tool in Sustainable Food Research

The following day, April 10, the focus shifted to a student symposium that highlighted the innovative research of graduate students from France and Quebec. This emerging scientific talent presented their latest advancements related to the role of AI in sustainable food, offering new perspectives and ideas on using machine learning as a lever in their research work.

The afternoon was dedicated to a practical workshop on creating applications using ChatGPT. Participants explored how to build a robot capable of compiling recipes or organizing bacterial definitions in an Excel spreadsheet. This workshop not only demonstrated the accessibility of AI but also allowed attendees to understand the concept of API (Application Programming Interface) and how to use AI as a simple tool in their projects, bypassing the complexities of programming languages.

The day concluded with an hour of discussions with participants, including students and research professionals, regarding the potential uses of AI in their own projects and the services available at Université Laval and through INAF platforms.

Key Takeaways:

These two full days not only highlighted the importance of AI in advancing sustainable food but also reinforced the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and training in AI tools such as APIs. They confirmed that the intersection of AI with other fields can lead to significant innovations that could transform how we produce, consume, and think about food.