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Presenter: Anne-Colombe Sinkpon

Faculty Sponsor: Leda Cooks

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Communication and Media Studies

Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, 163, C8

ABSTRACT

This study examines how artificial intelligence-based waste-tracking systems are changing everyday work and communication in university dining. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, UMass Dining has partnered with Metafood, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that photographs food before and after service, recognizes menu items, and generates real-time data on what students eat and what gets thrown away. While this technology promises to reduce waste and save money, it also changes how decisions are made in the kitchen by moving away from intuition and informal conversation toward dashboards and metrics. Existing research on AI and food waste shows that digital tools can make waste more visible and measurable, which in turn helps managers plan production more efficiently, cut costs, and lower environmental impacts. At the same time, studies also point out that these systems can create pressures for employees, who may feel monitored or blamed if numbers look bad, and stress that AI is only beneficial when workers are engaged, trained, and willing to use the data to change their practices. Building on this work, this study uses UMass Dining as a case study to explore how AI integration affects communication and sustainability practices in a college dining context. Through semi-structured interviews with managers and frontline staff, along with an analysis of the Metafood interface, the study finds that the technology supports more accurate planning and reduces waste. Moreover, it is generally well-received among employees, who report that Metafood helps improve communication about meal choices and portioning in the kitchen.