Wine and Artificial Intelligence: A Tasting of the Future
Five years ago I was in Abu Dhabi for one of my last INSEAD GEMBA modules by Professor Philip M. Parker. It was titled Al Strategy for Startups and C-Suites.
This elective course was designed to introduce, demystify and investigate value creation strategies in ecosystems relating to AI, machine learning (ML) and and advanced analytics.
I was curious and apprehensive as I knew nothing about AI beyond science fiction.
And especially how this could be applied in my daily life or work.
Before the course started, Phil asked us to choose an industry - not the one we were working in but any industry that we were interested in - without telling us what is would be for. Of course, I chose the wine industry.
Little did I know that I would end up with the following assignment: "Find and describe five different companies and five tool cases using current and future applications of AI, ML, robotics and automation in the industry of your choosing."
I went to see the Professor at the end of the class and told him: "There is no way I can fulfil this assignment! I chose the wine industry!"
He replied: "Do your research, Mimi. You will be surprised."
I did. And boy, I fell off my chair!
Here is a link to my GEMBA reflection paper that summarises my initial findings.
In the five years that followed, I embarked on the entrepreneurial adventure of starting my own company in the wine business, based on Singapore, applying many lessons learnt from the INSEAD GEMBA and drawing upon the incredible resources and network gained through the programme.
Meanwhile, as wine and wine education spread to new corners of the globe, particularly in the New World and Asia, we're witnessing not only the growth of new wine-producing regions but also the emergence of fresh consumer habits and preferences. Supporting this trend, thousands of startups, web platforms, and apps are emerging, all with the aim of enhancing the wine-drinking experience.
I invite you to read more about my findings in this area and discover the world of wine and AI in my blog: Wine and AI: A Technological Revolution into the World of Wines
