AI predicts sales from weather to cut food waste in Fukuoka test

Fukuoka – The city of Fukuoka, jointly with the Japan Weather Association, is conducting an experiment to reduce food waste using artificial intelligence. In the experiment, AI is used to predict sales of products in line with weather conditions, allowing stores to adjust their order and production volumes. Participating stores were able to reduce waste and boost sales in the fiscal year that ended in March. The experiment uses the JWA's weather-based demand prediction service, which analyzes mainly weather conditions, temperatures, social media posts and past retail sales data to predict demand for more than 660 products, including fresh food and prepared food, in seven stages. In the experiment last fiscal year, six of the eight participating companies in the city saw their food waste decline, while seven logged increased sales.