TT360 2026: AI, Robotics Could Become Standard In Commercial Kitchens By 2028

By PHUBIEYAS AHMAD

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 – Within two years, the commercial kitchen could look very different, with artificial intelligence and robotic cooking systems working alongside chefs as routinely as ovens, refrigerators and other conventional equipment.

That is the future envisioned by Ping Edge Technology Berhad chief executive officer Ethan Choong, who predicts AI, robotics and automation could become part of the basic set-up of commercial kitchens by 2028.

“A few years ago, a robot in the kitchen sounded like a gimmick. Not anymore,” he said at the Taste & Trade 360 (TT360) 2026 Grand Media Launch in Bangsar here Saturday.

“I believe that by 2028, AI, robotics and automation will be part of the basic set-up of a commercial kitchen – just like a combi oven or an ice machine is today.”

The prediction is particularly significant as restaurants, hotels and other foodservice operators grapple with labour shortages, rising operating costs and the challenge of delivering consistent food quality as their businesses expand.

More Than A Food Exhibition

TT360, or Taste & Trade 360, is a business and trade platform bringing together the wider food, beverage and hospitality ecosystem from F&B operators, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to suppliers, technology providers and other industry stakeholders.

Organised by Brilliant Exhibitions Sdn Bhd, TT360 2026 will take place from Nov 5 to 7 at Halls 1 and 2 of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).

The exhibition brings different parts of the industry under one roof, covering commercial kitchen equipment, ingredients, food technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, halal and GMP certification, retail solutions and other services supporting F&B businesses.

Beyond showcasing products, TT360 aims to connect businesses with technology, expertise, suppliers and potential partners while providing a platform to explore how innovation can improve productivity, consistency and competitiveness.

For Choong, however, the technology itself is not the starting point.

The problems facing business owners are.

“Today the question is: ‘I can’t find people. My costs keep going up. How do I keep my food the same across five outlets?’”

“That is the real problem in our industry today.”

It is a question increasingly relevant to businesses trying to expand without allowing quality to deteriorate as they add outlets and employees.

Not About Replacing Chefs

The emergence of robotic kitchens inevitably raises another question: what happens to the people?

Choong is emphatic that automation should not mean removing chefs from commercial kitchens.

“No robot will replace a good chef,” he said.

Instead, machines could take over hot, heavy and repetitive tasks, allowing employees to concentrate on work where human creativity, judgement and service create greater value.

The distinction is important.

If technology is deployed primarily as a substitute for workers, automation could deepen concerns about employment. But if machines are used to fill manpower gaps and handle repetitive work, they could instead change the nature of kitchen jobs and the skills employees require.

That view was echoed by Tourism Malaysia director Datin Christina Toh Lai Fong, who spoke on behalf of Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot.

Christina, who is also National President of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), said hotels were already dealing with labour shortages and rising operating costs while simultaneously facing increasing expectations for efficiency, quality and guest experience.

She said smart kitchen equipment, automated cooking systems and robots assisting with food preparation and repetitive tasks “should not simply be viewed as a means of replacing manpower”.

Instead, technology could help address human-resource and operational challenges while allowing employees to devote greater attention to customer service and the guest experience.

As Malaysia advances Visit Malaysia 2026, Christina said food also has a broader role in presenting the country to international visitors.

“For today’s travellers, Malaysia’s rich culinary heritage is no longer simply one component of a travel itinerary. It is an important gateway through which visitors experience our diverse culture, lifestyle and local identity,” she said.

That creates a delicate balance for the industry: using technology to become more productive without losing the creativity, authenticity and human interaction that form part of the hospitality experience.

Battle Of The Bots Puts Robots To The Test

TT360 will attempt to move that debate from theory to the kitchen floor.

One of the exhibition’s major attractions will be Battle of the Bots: Culinary Edition 2026, a robotic cooking competition that will put automated cooking systems through a practical test.

Taking place on Nov 6, the competition is expected to feature 10 robot cooking machines from different brands.

Rather than simply demonstrating machines at exhibition booths, Battle of the Bots is designed to test what robotic cooking technology can actually produce.

Dishes will be assessed by culinary professionals on criteria including taste, creativity, complexity and presentation.

For restaurant owners, hoteliers and chefs watching the competition, the central question will be straightforward: can a robot handle the flavours, techniques and operational demands of a Malaysian kitchen?

Gene Tech Sdn Bhd director Brian Ding Kuoi Jean said the technology should be viewed in the context of problems already confronting conventional F&B businesses, including manpower shortages, rising costs, inconsistent food quality, training difficulties and food wastage.

“Today is not only about robots cooking food. It is about how technology can help conventional food businesses move forward,” he said.

Ding said advances involving data, sensors, automation and continuous learning could allow cooking knowledge and processes to be reproduced more consistently across different outlets, locations and teams.

“A good recipe no longer needs to depend solely on one experienced chef,” he said.

The competition will also feature X-Bot, a robotic cooking system developed by Gene Tech, as part of a collaboration involving Gene Tech, Ping Edge and UOW Malaysia to explore how automated cooking technology can be applied in real foodservice environments.

Who Will Pay For The Smart Kitchen?

But proving that robots can cook is only one part of the equation.

For Malaysian restaurant operators and SMEs, an equally important question is whether they can afford the transition.

Robotic systems and sophisticated automated equipment may promise greater productivity and consistency, but businesses must still determine whether the investment delivers sufficient commercial returns.

Choong said financial institutions would therefore have an important role.

“We need the banks and I’m glad OCBC is with us because an operator who wants to automate needs financing that makes sense,” he said.

OCBC Bank Managing Director, Emerging Business Division Lee Kim Seong said the bank remained committed to supporting Malaysian businesses, particularly SMEs, as they navigate an increasingly dynamic operating environment.

“We provide tailored financial solutions, drive digital innovation and offer regional connectivity that enable SMEs to seize new opportunities with confidence,” he said in his welcome remarks.

OCBC hosted the TT360 2026 Grand Media Launch at its Premier Private Client Centre in Bangsar.

The financing issue could become increasingly important if robotics and automation move from specialist technologies to standard kitchen infrastructure.

For a large hotel group or restaurant chain, investing in automation may be easier to justify. For smaller operators, however, the initial capital requirement could determine how quickly they are able to participate in the technological shift.

From The Laboratory To Real Kitchens

Money is not the only requirement.

Choong said universities also have an important role in preparing the next generation of kitchen engineers and F&B managers for an industry where food knowledge will increasingly intersect with technology.

He believes TT360 can help close another divide — between researchers developing new technologies and restaurant operators dealing with the realities of a busy commercial kitchen.

“At TT360, the lab hears what the market really needs, and good ideas reach real kitchens faster,” he said.

“I believe trade shows will become live testing grounds, not just showrooms.”

That shift could be important if Malaysia wants not only to adopt imported technologies, but also to develop solutions suited to local kitchens, food preparation methods and business conditions.

260 Booths, 25,000 Visitors Targeted

TT360 2026 will occupy 4,832 square metres across Halls 1 and 2 at KLCC, featuring 260 booths and targeting 25,000 visitors, according to the event factsheet.

As of Sept 29, 30 foreign exhibitors had confirmed their participation, with overseas exhibitors coming from China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Italy.

Alongside robotics and commercial kitchen technology, the exhibition will cover ingredients, halal and GMP certification, retail solutions, food technology and automation, as well as professional culinary programmes and an electric vehicle food truck showcase.

TT360 is supported by MOTAC and the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and is aligned with Visit Malaysia 2026.

According to the organiser, the 2024 edition attracted participants from 35 countries, 200 exhibitor brands, 3,300 international buyers and 9,200 trade visitors, while facilitating US$15 million in trade.

Choong wants TT360 eventually to develop beyond a Malaysian food exhibition into a platform connecting the country with the F&B industry across Southeast Asia and the wider Asian market.

The larger test, however, will come after the exhibition halls close.

If Choong’s 2028 prediction proves correct, Malaysia has only a short window to prepare businesses and workers for a commercial kitchen where humans increasingly work alongside intelligent machines.

That will require more than buying robots.

Businesses will have to decide which tasks should be automated, banks will have to determine how to finance the transition, educational institutions will need to prepare workers for changing roles, and the hospitality industry will have to preserve the creativity and human connection that technology cannot easily reproduce.

The kitchen of the future may therefore not come down to a choice between chefs and robots.

It may depend on how successfully Malaysia teaches them to work together.

• TNS NEWS