CHICAGO, August 5, 2026 — Tired of all the breathless speculation about AI’s potential? The food-away-from-home industry was treated during Day One of the Go2MarketEdge conference to a break from the hype and an intense look at ways the technology is actually changing the business.
Take the defense that was cited against dish machine breakdowns that can cripple a restaurant on a busy Saturday night. Tony Neuman, director of marketing for Ecolab’s institutional foodservice arm, detailed how the sanitation giant’s new DishIQ venture uses AI to spare an establishment from that catastrophe. The program monitors the inner workings of the dishwasher to pre-emptively spotlight a component that’s in danger of breaking. The vulnerability can be addressed before a shutdown occurs.
Customers jumped on the innovation, but it forced Ecolab to rethink its model. When a dish machine broke, the venerable company was often the hero that stepped in to remedy the situation and get back-of-house operations back in full bore. Now that revenue opportunity was gone.
Neuman explained that Ecolab had to regear and adjust. It hit on a subscription model that made sense for company and customer alike.
The turn of events was one of several practical applications of AI highlighted during the opening day of G2ME, a three-day immersion in the practical applications of AI. Presented by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, the event began with an overview of AI’s capabilities from Tosh Rayadhurgam, who’d pioneered use of the technology for such well-known users as Meta, Lyft and Amazon. He recounted how Yum Brands, parent of Taco Bell and KFC, is already using AI in 28,000 restaurants for staffing, scheduling and drive-thru pre-ordering.
Rayadhurgam also mentioned an unnamed startup that is using AI’s capabilities to perfectly model the tastes of targeted consumers so their reaction to new products can be predicted before the items are produced.
The emphasis on practical applications of AI in the FAFH industry was by design. Last year’s inaugural presentation of G2ME focused on the promise of the technology, explained Mike Schwartz, senior VP and chief engagement & innovation officer for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. “Let's talk this year more about what's actual possible and practical, and best practices and use cases.”
Nor was it a coincidence that the event is being held in Mountain View, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. “We chose this place because there’s no better place to challenge the status quo,” said Schwartz.
G2ME will continue through Thursday. Check back for more coverage of how AI is changing the industry.