Marc Lore, former Amazon and Walmart executive, is betting big on artificial intelligence (AI) to democratize the restaurant industry. His latest venture, Wonder Create, promises to enable anyone—from food enthusiasts to social media stars—to design and launch their own restaurant brand in under a minute.

These 'programmable cooking platforms,' already numbering 120 with plans for 400 next year, come equipped with robotic kitchens that can operate as 25 different types of restaurants based on cuisine. The initiative aims to allow entrepreneurs to experiment with recipes and gauge customer reaction before opening physical locations.

The platform's automation extends beyond the kitchen; it includes an 'infinite sauce machine' capable of replicating most sauces found online, alongside AI-driven design tools that handle branding, naming, and recipe creation. Lore envisions a future where 1,000 unique restaurants operate in 2,500 square feet through advanced robotics.

Whether this AI-driven model will catch on remains to be seen. Critics point to the challenges faced by ghost kitchens, which struggled with inconsistent food quality despite automation. Still, Wonder's integration of AI and robotics might just overcome these hurdles, providing a new avenue for culinary innovation and entrepreneurship.