AI tools can now suggest new ingredient combinations, predict shelf life, sort through lab results and summarize research papers. Food scientists and technologists still analyze what is in food, run the tests and make sure processed foods are safe and healthy.
The short answer: current evidence points to AI speeding up research, not replacing food scientists. The ILO's 2025 index rates chemists at minimal exposure (0.39) and biologists and related professionals at gradient 2 (0.40), the closest groups. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6 percent growth for food scientists and technologists from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, and about 2,700 openings a year for agricultural and food scientists together. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed food scientists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Chemists | Minimal exposure | 0.39 |
| Biologists, Botanists, Zoologists and Related Professionals | Gradient 2 | 0.40 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so these are the closest groups for food scientists, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Food scientists and technologists | Grow 6% | In total |
| Soil and plant scientists | Grow 7% | In total |
| Agricultural and food scientists, total | Grow 6% | About 2,700 |
The BLS expects growth as research into agricultural production continues, as the field addresses pests, disease and changing climate and weather, and as demand for agricultural products grows. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Screening ingredient and formula options before lab work.
- Predicting shelf life and spotting quality problems in data.
- Organizing and summarizing lab results.
- Searching and summarizing published research.
What stays with food scientists
- Lab testing: running and validating experiments on real food.
- Safety: making sure processed foods are safe and meet rules.
- Taste and texture: sensory work that data alone does not settle.
- Checking AI help: generated predictions, figures and citations can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Screening and data work get faster, so more time goes to testing, safety and product decisions. Scientists who can check a model's predictions against lab results have more options.
See also will AI replace scientists?, will AI replace lab technicians? and will AI replace dietitians?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for agricultural and food scientists at $81,970 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace food scientists?
Not on current evidence. The closest ILO groups score 0.39 to 0.40, and the BLS projects 6 percent growth for food scientists and technologists from 2025 to 2035.
Why is food scientist employment growing?
The BLS points to continued agricultural research, challenges such as disease and changing climate, and demand for agricultural products.
How many openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 2,700 openings a year for agricultural and food scientists combined.
What food science work stays human?
Lab testing, food safety, sensory work and checking AI predictions against real results.