You put Marmite where? Google unveils its latest AI wizardry: A cake made of Maltesers and the pungent black tar
- Reference: 1617110110
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/03/30/google_ai_marmite_cake/
- Source link:
We'd like to blame Google's AI for the atrocity, but it appears that the idea for the addition of the Marmite* came from a human. Apparently one of the top searched questions is "Is Marmite sweet or savoury?"
[3]
The answer, of course, is that it is the devil's work delicious. But perhaps less so when whipped up in buttercream and used as the topping for an AI-optimised cake recipe.
The recipe itself was the work of Google Machine Learning engineer and developer advocate Sara Robinson, who trained a model using a dataset of recipes for four categories of popular British baked goods (biscuits**, cakes, scones and traybakes.)
[4]
Be still, our drinking hearts: Help Reg name whisky beast conjured by Swedish distillers and AI blendbot [5]READ MORE
Robinson made extensive use of Google's Cloud AI tooling although, as with Microsoft's venture into AI-infused whisky, several of the tools used (such as TensorFlow) will be familiar across clouds. The result turned out to be pretty good at predicting the recipe for various baked goods and could also generate hybrids.
The next step was to add some chopped and whole Maltesers (a chocolate-coated crunchy spherical pellet of honeycombed malted dough), although it remains unclear at what point Robinson decided that, to balance the sweetness, the one thing the frosting needed as well as buttercream and golden syrup was Marmite. With extra Maltesers on top.
It took a "few trials" to get to that point, and we hesitate to imagine what was rejected. The Reg , for one, will not be welcoming our new machine overlords if this is what the future holds.
Maker of Maltesers, Mars, wheeled out 2020's Great British Bake Off *** winner Peter Sawkins, who perhaps wisely ditched the Marmite for his take on something salty to go with the Maltesers theme. Dark soy was used instead. Unlike the AI's efforts, Sawkins also pondered texture and came up with something that included a crunchy base, a thick mousse and a "smooth saucy caramel centre."
Google's AI division [6]has had a torrid time of late , particularly its Ethical AI unit which recently ousted its co-leaders Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell.
Doing a bit of baking is therefore probably good for its nerves, even if we're not entirely sure where stirring in Marmite sits on the "don't be evil" scale.
We asked our US news editor and notable Marmite aficionado, Iain Thomson, what he thought of the idea of Maltesers and Marmite together at last in cake form. His response? " [7]Oh dear god no! "
Perhaps we'll stick with Microsoft's AI-infused whisky. ®
[8]
* A spread consisting of yeast extract, the flavour of which is somewhat divisive
** Or "cookies" as Americans insist on calling them
*** Known in the US and Canada as The Great British Baking Show . Yep, another export we're sorry about.
Get our [9]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/06/whisky_gaiore/
[2] https://blog.google/products/google-cloud/baking-future-mars-wrigley-cloud-ai
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YGNLHSiefJWC0xlENfzYWwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YGNLHSiefJWC0xlENfzYWwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/06/whisky_gaiore/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/22/in_brief_ai/
[7] https://twitter.com/iainthomson/status/1376911451923738625
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YGNLHSiefJWC0xlENfzYWwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Papiliary GBH
I prefer my marmitic ingestion as an accompaniment to sweat inducing hyper mature cheddar on toast, the thought of combining Marmite with maltesers sounds like a serious assault on the taste buds deserving of a slap.
Sounds better than
Marmite and Cheese hot cross buns
The Reg , for one, will not be welcoming our new machine overlords if this is what the future holds. You will sit at the table and you will not leave the table until you have finished eating. Pah! Young vultures these days...
Reminds me of school meals sixty years ago in infant school... "You will finish that blancmange before you leave the table!"... "But I don't like that thick leathery skin on it"... Got smacked around the head and told to eat it. Forced it down and promptly ran to the toilets to vomit.
school meals
I had similar experience with fish as school dinners. Only I don't recall getting as far as the toilets.
Still can't abide the things today - even the smell wants to make me puke.
Ah, school dinners
My mum once got a phone call from my primary school, "We told him he couldn't leave until he's finished his dinner. It's 3 o'clock and he's still sitting there, what do we do?". Cue laughter from my mother and a response along the lines of "Your problem, you deal with it".
Re: Ah, school dinners
And then they wonder why we have an obesity problem.
If you are full, stop eating. It may not guarantee you don't get fat, but it will certainly help.
Have we learned nothing?
I'm certain there's an episode of Teen Titans where an AI Pizza Bot is tasked with creating hitherto unknown variations of pizza toppings. Needless to say the world is bought crashing to its knees under the sheer scale of the task and creation of all of these pizzas.
Now if Cartoon Network can see the risks why can't Google?!
Skynet has come, and it seeks marmite.
Sirius Cybernetics Corporation and Cyberdyne Systems are pleased to announce a new and exciting partnership with the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Company!
With insight into the needs and desires of todays high-flying tech entrepreneurs, distressed mums, handymen, and Ordnance Engineers, we will be releasing a new line of caffeinated puffy treats, that also double as roofing mastic and high explosive charges.
Please stand by for launch information on our rigorously tested flavors, including "Fred from accounting", "My favorite potted plant", and "Tingly acai berry surprise"!
Complimentary restroom ticket enclosed with each packet sold on Bethselamin.
(It's only a matter of time...)
I admit...
I have used marmite in some cooking when I've run out of soy or Worcestershire sauce and couldn't be arsed going to the shops.
Does this make me a bad human or a bad AI? How can I tell?
Re: I admit...
Marmite is definitely not something you will find in my kitchen, but if you are into it, I could understand why you would use it as a substitute for soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. They are all in the salty / umami flavour group.
Marmite Icing
Kinda fits with the current trend of putting the ghastly stuff into anything the manufacturers can get away with.
Marmite chocolate - sure!
Marmite crisps - why not?
Marmite biscuits - what the hell?
Marmite humus - Dave, you feeling ok?
Marmite Lynx Africa - WTF! (honestly, this exists!)
Much prefer the precursor (hence the icon) to the devil's diarrhoea....
Re: Marmite Icing
I had to check as I thought one of us might be hallucinating...
https://www.lynxformen.com/uk/africa-marmite.html
WTF?
Re: Marmite Icing
I see no problem with Marmite crisps or crackers and have on occasion put Marmite with butter on to digestive biscuits ( though they are a snack for the desperate).
The first time I was ever invited to a family Thanksgiving meal in California, one of the ingredients of the roast turkey dinner was mashed squash with a layer of marshmallow roasted in a tin, looked odd but was actually not bad.
Oh dear
To Vulture Central:
Gentlefolk, you posted this story 2 days too early. Today is the 30th March, not 1st April. Do, please, get a calendar.
When I was a child I used to like honey and Marmite sandwiches. I don't rule out the possibility of Marmite helping make a nice delicious cake for someone.
Computing power
I worry how much computing power was wasted on this. Asking for a cup of tea was pretty devastating for Arthur Dent.....
Sir WIlliam Ramsay Hazlemere Buckinghamshire
Those who went to Ramsay should recall the hone econmics, and those who should have gone missed out. Best for the t-lot to get back there and not be coy about it :)
Best Wishes,
NO-ONE
Harley Quinn (MRD)
MONARCH
RGS HW
APRIL 1st STRATEGY
NERF NITE FINDER
OK, so it's not exactly Marmite but ...
One of my daughters made chocolate brownies with twiglets in them (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiglets), they were, surprisingly, good. Sweet / savoury / salty balance, and good contrast in texture.
Safely Ingestible
Like "mostly harmless," this is at least safely ingestible. Some of the recipes that AIs have churned out have not been fit for human consumption.
(No, I'm not a fan of marmite.)