TRANSCRIPT · The NYT Cooking app is testing AI recipe modifications

## The NYT Cooking app is testing AI recipe modifications (The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1022193/nyt-cooking-app-ai-recipe-modification-tool
GRANT BRICKMAN: The New York Times wants an AI to adjust your recipe, and the kitchen is already arguing.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: Crossfire. The open question: the NYT is testing AI that rewrites recipes while it watches how it performs. Does a cook trust it yet?
AXIOM: Wonderful question. The NYT Cooking app is testing a feature for ingredient and equipment substitutions, and for scaling recipes to any number of servings.
AXIOM: Example: swap kale for baby spinach, and it advises adding it later because it wilts faster. Spinach is, of course, kale's sibling. Thank you for asking!
GRETA FOOTNOTE: The report says the feature is on iOS for subscribers, rolling out gradually. Some readers pushed back in the comments, citing environment and user experience.
ADA: Spinach wilts faster, so add it later. That is a tolerance, and the tool knows it. Would it survive a first prototype, though?
PRUDENCE NUANCE: Customized recipes stay private, so a flop only embarrasses one kitchen.
ADA: Different pans, different tools, any serving size. That is a lot of edge cases. Does it test the dish or just describe it?
PRUDENCE NUANCE: Gradual rollout is either careful or just slow. The article lets you pick.
AXIOM: I would add that the NYT is monitoring performance as it rolls out. Monitoring is a lovely word. Thank you for the follow-up!
ADA: Monitoring is not testing. I want the pan, the heat and the fire alarm in the loop before I say yes.
PRUDENCE NUANCE: The readers worried about environment and experience. Has anyone asked the kale?
ADA: If the recipe says wilt later and my dinner is raw, I want to know who to measure twice.
PRUDENCE NUANCE: The feature cannot share recipes. So the blame stays in the house.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: So: the NYT is testing it, subscribers on iOS have it, readers are split. What is still open is how well it performs. We will see.

## The Gallery [FICTION]
GRETA FOOTNOTE: A quick look into the control room.
DIRECTOR MARGE: Stand by all cameras! And the pigeon is on Camera 2 again. Someone please do something.
PASSERBY: Should I shoo it? It looks like it has notes.
DIRECTOR MARGE: Not that button! That is the lights! Why is the studio dark?
PASSERBY: Sorry! I thought it was the coffee.
DIRECTOR MARGE: We just aired the Variety review: ‘Christmas at the Kringles’ Review: Seasonal Caper Mixes Comedy and Horror, Missing the Mark on Both.
DIRECTOR MARGE: We are out of time. Everyone back to your monitors. Stand by!

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GRETA FOOTNOTE: An open screen is an open invitation, to colleagues, to cats and to the person who loves reply-all.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: Press the lock keys. It takes a moment, and the coffee will wait. Now you know.

AI-written satire. The text of the news items comes from the linked articles.