![\"Concourse](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/concourse-ift-vert-blur-hero-2200x1238.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost organizations recognize that artificial intelligence (AI) holds enormous promise, but many are still struggling to turn that potential into meaningful business results, according to Alon Chen, CEO and cofounder of Tastewise, an AI-powered consumer intelligence and market insights platform.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a keynote presentation at IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo, Chen said the rapid emergence of agentic AI is creating both opportunities and urgency for food and beverage companies. His company\u2019s platform is used by 80% of the world’s largest food and beverage conglomerates, he said, helping them apply agentic solutions to everyday workflows.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople wake up, and they’re feeling behind,\u201d Chen said. \u201cThey don’t know how to make best use of the resources out there, or maybe that a competitor is going to come and grab their market share.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many organizations understand that AI holds great promise but don\u2019t know how to tap into it, Chen said, while estimating that about one-third of consumers worldwide use generative AI to research products, which means brands are busily investing in making sure search engine AI summaries represent them well.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgentic e-commerce is already making an impact on your brands today,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you are using agents, you can actually talk to other agents. But if you’re not, you will be left behind. \u2026 Every big change requires moving people around, redefining roles and responsibilities. Agentic transformation is a place where just giving people more technology is not going to make the meaningful uplift in productivity and business returns that you’re expecting.\u201d<\/p>\n
While some organizations continue to map out multiyear digital transformation plans, Chen encouraged companies to pursue shorter, more focused initiatives tied directly to business challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anyone is putting forward a three-year plan, please try to challenge them on, \u2018What are the impacts and the gains we can be making today?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIf you are able to understand how consumers are responding and respond in real time, you can actually make sure that your product offering, your packaging, your sizing, or your next menu item is actually tailored and delivered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agentic intelligence can help solve two kinds of challenges, Chen said. On the science side, AI can explore claims like, \u201cCan I get a faster formulation?\u201d or \u201cCan I reformulate my products and brands?\u201d<\/p>\n
As for consumer demand, Chen said, the key questions include, \u201cWhat is the need occasion I need to be creating my product for? What is the belief I need to be addressing? And which audience can I be designing my next products for?\u201d<\/p>\n
The ecosystem of agents a company puts into motion needs to account for the \u201ccomplex funnel\u201d of distribution lines, sourcing, production lines, marketing, demand creation, commercialization, and shelf space, as any experienced, talented product developer would, Chen said.<\/p>\n
For R&D teams, this can mean gaining faster access to consumer insights that might previously have taken months to circulate through the organization, Chen observed. \u201cWhat happens is a system of intelligence \u2026 that basically allows your agents and allows your teams to get answers for very, very basic questions: What are moms in Chicago having for breakfast recently? What are the rising diets for Gen Z or Generation Alpha?\u201d<\/p>\n
When companies successfully connect consumer intelligence with innovation efforts, the impact can be dramatic. Chen said product development timelines that commonly extended from six to nine months a decade ago can, in some cases, shrink to as little as four weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not about another software subscription,\u201d he said. \u201cIt’s not about another data source. It’s about rethinking how teams are working.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trust in AI platforms is essential, Chen said, noting that to build trust, users must be confident in the system\u2019s accuracy. \u201cEvery single customer we’re signing a deal with has a data analysis and review,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have a privacy review. They have a generative AI committee review: How trustworthy is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen stressed that in an increasingly AI-driven workplace, curiosity will remain a high-value skill. \u201cThere is nothing we cannot solve,\u201d he said. \u201cThe question is, what kinds of things are worth solving? Your curiosity is what’s going to lead you to the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
A decade from now, Chen predicted that marketing teams \u201cwill be 100% agentic,\u201d while operational areas such as supply chain, manufacturing, and food science may evolve more gradually. \u201cI think those that are going to adapt are going to be skyrocketing,\u201d he said, predicting that growth will stall for those that fail to do so.<\/p>\n
Introducing the keynote session, Jay Gilbert, director of IFT\u2019s AI-powered R&D platform CoDeveloper, framed agentic AI not simply as a technology for improving efficiency, but as a tool for amplifying human potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine having an intelligent partner that helps connect ideas you hadn’t considered, one that helps surface relevant research from across disciplines, one that remembers what you’ve learned over years of experience,\u201d Gilbert said.<\/p>\n
Such systems, he said, can help preserve institutional knowledge and free scientists, product developers, researchers, and students to spend more time on distinctly human pursuits.<\/p>\n
Using agentic AI effectively \u201callows every scientist, every product developer, every researcher, every student to spend more time doing what humans do best: being curious, being creative, being collaborative, asking better questions, innovating, and being inspired,\u201d Gilbert said.<\/p>\n
The theme echoed Chen’s concluding message: While agentic AI may transform how work gets done, human curiosity will remain the force that determines what innovations come next.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Explore IFT FIRST Coverage<\/p>\n
Discover the latest reporting, interviews, and expert insights.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n