The Amazing Ways The Brewers of Budweiser Are Using Artificial Intelligence To Transform The Beer Industry

The Amazing Ways
The Brewers Of Budweiser
Are Using AI To Transform
The Beer Industry

© 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
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IntroductionIntroduction
Is there a magic formula for brewing the perfect beer? If there is, then given the drink’s
timeless popularity, whoever finds it is likely to be very successful. It’s a question that the
world’s largest brewer is hoping to answer with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
AB InBev – producer of renowned brews including Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Corona -
is building machine learning into key areas of its business, as it seeks to bring one of the
world’s oldest industries into the digital age.
The Amazing Ways The Brewers of Budweiser
Are Using AI To Transform The Beer Industry

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IntroductionIntroduction
The company has invested in a raft of data-driven initiatives with the aim of improving
everything from how it brews beer to how it manages its relationships with customers
and markets its products to the public.
The Amazing Ways The Brewers of Budweiser
Are Using AI To Transform The Beer Industry

The Beer Garage
It began its steps towards digital transformation several years ago by establishing what it
refers to as its Beer Garage – a Silicon Valley-based hub of innovation, where it researches,
develops, and tests technology-driven solutions.
AB InBev’s global director of innovation, Andrew Green, spoke to me about the challenges
involved with adding cutting-edge technology to the brew.
He tells me “The Beer Garage is our emerging technology office in Silicon Valley – as a
company we’re super-committed to innovation, so placing people out here to be really in
the forefront of what’s happening is very exciting for us.
“It’s like we’re opening doors to the external ecosystem and inviting them in to collaborate
and co-create with us.”

The Technology Incubator and Startups
A key component of their Silicon Valley operations is the technology incubator, which is
where several of the AI-powered initiatives currently being trialled or rolled out into
production originated. But proximity to the larger tech companies of Mountain View, as
well as being able to tap into the networks of the venture capitalists in the area, are all
sources of opportunity and innovation.
Green explains, "We spend most of our time working with startups – early-stage
companies as well as larger startups, and we learn a lot from working with them … it's a
really exciting way of working for us … these early-stage founders are super motivated and
experts in their field, which is inspiring for us.“
The Beer Garage’s function is to sit between this startup ecosystem and the core AB InBev
business, and discover ways that each can be of benefit to the other. These will generally
be new concepts that can be quickly scaled up to the point where they can operate within
one of its multinational operations.

How is AB InBev Using AI Right Now?
Green talked me through three use cases across very different areas of the company’s
business.
The first is a system called SenseAI that uses machine learning to help brewers improve
the quality and flavour of their products.
It involves using real-time analytics to measure data collected during the brewing process
– from levels of CO2 used in the processes to the time dedicated to each different stage –
to predict qualities of the end product.
SenseAI

Green says, "Supplying breweries is a big thing for us … so SenseAI was setting out to say,
'we have all of this data, how can we utilize it to put the best product we possibly can into
our consumers' hands?"
Other data that is used includes results gathered from a grading process, where expert
human beer tasters assess the taste of the algorithmically-informed brew.
At the moment this layer of human input is essential – no digital “tasting” system has yet
been developed that is able to give as comprehensive and reliable assessment of the taste
and quality of a finished beer, as an expert with a biological tongue and brain.
SenseAI

But, “In the future, its totally possible we can put a more objective spin to that, as some of
these things become more possible to do in a scalable way through technology,” Green
says.
SenseAI

A second use case involves using machine learning to build better and more sustainable
relationships with customers – the distributors and outlets that sell its famous brands
around the world.
Essentially it runs a risk analysis model meaning the company can more quickly assess
customers to determine the amount of stock they will need and the amount of credit they
can offer them.
Machine Learning & Customer
Relationships

"It's a cool project that's taken inspiration from the financial services and fintech that we
see out here in Silicon Valley … we're selling beer to retailers, but we're also looking to
help our retail partners and customers build their businesses too,” Green says,
The ABCredit system lets the business identify the level of credit and payment terms that
suit its relationship with an individual customer, by making more accurate individual
assessments rather than having to use broader terms to consider the risks and
opportunities.
Relationships

Currently being piloted in Brazil, the company hopes the platform will eventually be rolled
out globally – good news for beer fans who are more likely to find their favourite stores,
restaurants, and bars well stocked when they drop by for a pint or two.
Relationships

A third AI-driven initiative revolves around marketing and the increasingly popular
concept of allowing machines to make creative decisions regarding the content of
advertising and marketing materials.
Alehouse Creative allows advertising professionals across the country to feed in their
creative briefs and receive real-time insights into how altering elements of their work
could affect the impact it is likely to have.
It works by analysing the performance history of individual pieces of advertising material
and imagery, to learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to attracting customers
through online marketing channels.
Marketing & Creative Decision
Making

Green says, “At the touch of a button we’re able to create a new digital advert … when you
think of all the work that goes into the manufacturing of different ads you see across
platforms, including things like the required imagery and language, or putting the beer
slightly to the left or the right might be the optimal way … we can now automate a lot of
these processes which allows our creatives to spend their time doing creative stuff, rather
than working on the hundredth iteration of a particular advert.”
This frees up creative staff to spend time looking for the most engaging imagery or telling
the most compelling story, bolstered by solid data on the impact it is likely to have when
the advert is put to market.
Making

AB InBev’s forays into artificial intelligence and technology-driven change are typical of
those we’re seeing in market leaders across every industry. Their work highlights how
smart, self-learning, and automated systems can be applied to any business problem to
increase efficiency and improve the products they supply to their customers.
Making

© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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The Amazing Ways The Brewers of Budweiser Are Using Artificial Intelligence To Transform The Beer Industry

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The Amazing Ways The Brewers of Budweiser Are Using Artificial Intelligence To Transform The Beer Industry