New AI Dieting Program Will Help Fine-Tune Your Eating Habits

The future of AI dieting is here! Well, sort of. Scientists in Canada are currently developing an AI program that will monitor your eating habits and precisely track the calories you consume.

The researchers involved in the project are especially proud of the way it will be set apart from similar food-tracking AI technology. According to Sky News, the researchers from the University of Waterloo shared key differences in their software versus that of their competitors.

"The current [...] food portion estimation system algorithms assume that users take images of their meals one or two times...this can be inconvenient and fail to capture food items that are not visible from a top-down perspective, such as ingredients submerged in a stew."

The university researchers are currently working to help the AI identify various food items and types of cuisine with as much accuracy as possible. As of right now the software can calculate the volume of food you eat with a 4.4% margin for error.

However, if testing continues to prove successful, the software will be able to analyze every single component of your meal with laser-focused accuracy (metaphorically speaking of course. As of right now no actual lasers are involved...yet).

The researchers are even hoping that the AI will learn to identify food it hasn't seen before, which would be a major breakthrough in diet-tracking software. One of the researchers, Yuhao Chan, explained this further in an interview with New Scientist.

"We're shifting toward using those large language models like ChatGPT to understand what is in the food or maybe ask a basic question like 'is this chicken?'"

Once the kinks are worked out, this could be a gamechanger in how people monitor their diet and track their caloric intake. One some of the food-tracking apps I currently use, I'm able to get a ballpark estimate of the amount of calories in my grilled chicken or half a Hot Pocket (don't judge me).

But if this AI dieting program takes off, you'd be able to use it to get a near-exact measurement of exactly how much food you're consuming and how much you'd need to exercise to burn it off. If you're a fitness fan and looking to improve your physique and overall health and wellness, this could be just what you need!

U.S. News & World Report has released their new Best Places to Live rankings for 2024-2025, and the Tar Heel state got some major love! In a list of 150 major cities, two North Carolina cities were ranked among the top 10 best places to live in the US.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the ranking was compiled using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor, and some of the publication's own internal resources. The data was then sorted into four different categories by which each major city would be scored.

The categories were assigned different weights depending on how strongly Americans felt each factor mattered when choosing a place to live. The four categories in order of weight are as follows:

According to the official rankings, Charlotte and Raleigh are the two best places to live in North Carolina. The two cities made it to #5 and #6 respectively.

Charlotte scored extremely well overall, with the Queen City's quality of life and economic value placing it among the top places in the country to live. Charlotte was also commended for its sprawling metro area and bustling downtown scene, while still maintaining its southern charm.

Raleigh ranked almost neck-and-neck with Charlotte, with North Carolina's capital scoring highly in the Quality of Life category. The publication highlights Raleigh's bustling art and music scenes, as well as its beautiful green spaces and activity space. The city of Raleigh also received high marks for its strong sense of community among the residents.

The full rankings (seen here) reveals some interesting information about other major cities in the US, including other cities in North Carolina. Here are some of the key takeaways.

Ranked #1 overall, Naples, Florida was determined to be the best city to live in the US. The city scored highly for its overall quality of life, especially among retirees who desire a pristine beachfront view in their twilight years.

It's certainly a surprising #2, but Boise, Idaho has much to offer for outdoorsy types. Boise offers a plethora of different terrains for adventurers, including mountain ranges, canyons, deserts and lakes.

Colorado Springs, Colorado was ranked as the #3 best place to live for its blend of natural beauty and rustic modernism. Despite its endless array of events and activities, Colorado Springs maintains a small town charm that residents find intoxicating.

North Carolina's sister state did just a hair better in the ranking, with the South Carolina city of Greenville landing at #4 in the overall ranking. Greenville's downtown area is a central hub for local businesses, bars, restaurants and boutiques. The city is also quite lively during the summer season.

- Asheville (#17)

-Greensboro (#23) 

-Hickory (#26)

-Winston-Salem (#60)

-Fayetteville (#113)