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When searching for an idea for our group project, we considered which everyday problems we regularly encounter and how GenAI could help solve them. It became clear quickly that we spend a lot of time each week planning our shopping, yet too much food still ends up in the trash. We wondered if it was just us, but our research showed that the average Dutch citizen throws away an average of 33–34 kilograms of still-edible food per year. (Van Lieshout & Knüppe, 2025) Given that many people around the world are suffering from hunger and the environment is affected by overproduction and disposal of food, we see an urgent need for action. This is a problem we want to tackle with our startup SMAAK.

Our solution

The key lies in intelligent, AI-supported shopping planning. SMAAK suggests suitable recipes based on individual preferences and dietary requirements and considers which foods are already available in the household. Fast-perishing products are planned for the beginning of the week to prevent them from spoiling. The app also ensures that ingredients are used multiple times to use up leftovers completely.

The next step is SMAAK‘s shopping assistance- Using the automatically generated shopping list, the app determines which stores currently offer the best prices for the required products. Distance and current offers are also considered, so users save not only time but also money. After shopping, receipts can be easily scanned or photographed. The app stores the purchased products in a digital pantry, knows their shelf life and takes existing food into account when planning for the coming week. With each use, SMAAK learns, recognizes habits, takes preferences into account and automatically adapts to the user’s behaviour.

Our business model

SMAAK is offered as a freemium model. The basic version includes all core functions, while the premium model offers additional features for €4.99 per month, including advanced preference settings, personalized recipe suggestions and detailed shopping analyses.

The added value for users

By subscribing to SMAAK, users can save up to €25 per month by reducing food waste. This already exceeds the monthly subscription cost of €4.99. In addition, the app can save up to two hours per month through automatic weekly meal planning, shopping list creation, price comparisons and discount suggestions. At the same time, users are actively contributing to greater sustainability in their everyday lives.

SMAAK turns what is already in your kitchen into a smart weekly plan that saves money, time and food. It learns your tastes, plans perishables first and helps shop the best deals!

Sources:

Van Lieshout, L., & Knüppe, J. (2025). Consumer food waste – Fact sheet. Voedings Centrum. https://www.voedingscentrum.nl

5/5 (1)

I like to try out new generative AI tools, from image generators and music programs to the new possibilities offered by Microsoft Copilot. In addition to trying these out, there is one Gen-AI that has become an integral part of my everyday life – ChatGPT. I use it almost daily, whether for quick spelling and grammar checks of emails, organizing my thoughts for papers or summarizing longer texts into short bullet points. The focus of my use is therefore clearly related to my studies and I suspect that many others are in a similar situation. When I walk through the library at my home university, I see an open ChatGPT window on almost every screen. In conversations with friends, I also notice how much its use has increased – especially for university purposes.

I am noticing more and more that ChatGPT is often used before anyone has even seriously considered a topic. Group work is a good example. Often, the first step is to pass the task or assignment on to ChatGPT instead of developing solution ideas yourself. Classic brainstorming is replaced or at least strongly influenced by the AI’s answers. The tool remains present throughout the rest of the project, for example when it comes to checking whether a task has been adequately answered or what criticisms could be made of one’s own work.  

This raises the question for me: Is this a more efficient way of working and a good use of new technology? Or have we simply become too lazy to think for ourselves?

I see the danger that the constant use of AI won’t change our creative work processes for the better. Any deviations, spontaneous thoughts, or unusual ideas that might otherwise have arisen are less likely to occur because we are heavily influenced by AI suggestions. This also often leads to similar results. As a result, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to really get to know new topics and develop individual thought processes.

AI should not take away our curiosity, our willingness to experiment and our struggle to find our own solutions but rather support us in doing just that. So, before we open ChatGPT the next time, we should ask ourselves: Is it really worth using right now or am I denying myself the opportunity to develop my own solution? 

What about you, do you use ChatGPT directly or do you think things through first and then supplement your ideas with the help of AI?

5/5 (1)

Augmented reality has been a buzzword for years. The technology enhances the real world with digital content that can be viewed via smartphones or special glasses. For example, the smartphone camera captures the surroundings, and virtual elements are integrated into the real image with the use of software. In this way, additional information or objects can be projected into the field of vision while the real environment remains visible (Kilic, 2025).

There are already many applications for AR, particularly in the gaming sector, which is why younger people in particular are familiar with the technology (Bitkom e.V., 2025). Like many others, I first came into contact with augmented reality through the game Pokémon Go, in which virtual characters could be caught in the real world. Games like this have significantly promoted the spread and popularity of the technology. Since all you need is a smartphone, access is also low-threshold and inexpensive (Rauschnabel et al., 2017).

However, the easy access via smartphones stands in strong contrast to AR glasses, which until now have often appeared bulky, expensive, and impractical for everyday use. One example that confirms this is the Apple Vision Pro. Due to its appearance, I would not feel comfortable wearing it outside of my own four walls and with a price of nearly 3,500 dollars, it’s far beyond my reach (Wegmann & Price, 2024).

This is precisely the gap that Meta is trying to close with its second generation of AR glasses, introduced in September 2026. The new Meta glasses look like normal sunglasses and integrate augmented reality functions that can be controlled via a newly developed wristband (Soni & Wang, 2025). I had hardly noticed the first generation, as it did not seem suitable for everyday use and appeared more like an unfinished prototype. The new version, on the other hand, offers significantly improved features and expanded applications (Ulanoff, 2025). It has a built-in display, navigation in the field of vision, real-time translation, a camera, and app integration. At the same time, Meta presented the Oakley Meta Vanguard, a model designed specifically for sports – including an action camera and interfaces to fitness apps. Technologically, both models represent a clear step forward: smaller, more discreet, and overall more mature than their predecessors (Soni & Wang, 2025).

These technical upgrades unlock a wide range of potential applications. For example, in navigation or tourism, they could replace the need to look at a smartphone and project information about buildings or historical backgrounds directly into the field of vision. For people with visual impairments, functions such as object recognition and text-to-speech offer valuable support. In sports, live data could be displayed without the need to hold an additional device in the hand. In professions such as skilled trades or logistics, step-by-step instructions could be displayed, making work processes noticeably easier.

Yet potential alone does not guarantee adoption. Despite these advances, it remains unclear whether the glasses will actually find their place in everyday life. So far, I personally haven’t seen anyone wearing them – perhaps because they have become much less noticeable. The features are interesting, but the fundamental question arises as to whether another device is really needed that can do less rather than more than a smartphone. For example, it is not possible to take selfies with the glasses. On top of that, the glasses and wristband cost around 800 dollars (Vanian, 2025). In my opinion, the price means that the product will remain a niche product for tech enthusiasts and early adopters.

What do you think, will glasses like these catch on? Are you among the early adopters, or are you waiting another generation or two?

References:

Bitkom e.V. (2025, 6. Januar). Immer mehr Deutsche nutzen Augmented Reality [Pressemeldung]. Abgerufen am 23. September 2025, von https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/Immer-mehr-nutzen-Augmented-Reality

Kilic, A. (2025, 24. Januar). Was ist Augmented Reality? Netzpiloten Magazin. Abgerufen am 23. September 2025, von https://www.netzpiloten.de/was-ist-augmented-reality/

Rauschnabel, P. A., Rossmann, A. & Dieck, M. C. T. (2017). An adoption framework for mobile augmented reality games: The case of Pokémon Go. Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 276–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.030

Soni, A. & Wang, E. (2025, 18. September). Meta launches smart glasses with built-in display, reaching for „superintelligence“. Reuters. Abgerufen am 23. September 2025, von https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/meta-launches-smart-glasses-with-built-in-display-reaching-superintelligence-2025-09-18/

Ulanoff, L. (2025, 18. September). Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 AI glasses have more flair, battery life, and video power, and I think they look good on me. TechRadar. Abgerufen am 23. September 2025, von https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-ai-glasses-have-more-flair-battery-life-and-video-power-and-i-think-they-look-good-on-me

Vanian, J. (2025, 20. September). Hands-on with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. CNBC. Abgerufen am 23. September 2025, von https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/20/hands-on-with-the-meta-ray-ban-display-glasses.html

Wegmann, E. & Price, D. (2024, 27. Juni). Apple hat Schwierigkeiten, den Preis der Vision Pro zu senken. Macwelt. https://www.macwelt.de/article/2378787/apple-vision-pro-preisgestaltung.html