Albertsons Companies Inc. (NYSE: ACI) announced the launch of its Intelligent Quality Control tool, an AI-powered system designed to assist quality inspectors in distribution centers with evaluating fresh fruits and vegetables.

The patent-pending tool uses Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise, including Vision AI and Gemini models, to analyze visual characteristics of produce against established quality standards. Quality inspectors feed images of produce into the system, which provides ratings and recommendations for approval.

The system is currently operational in select Albertsons distribution centers and focuses on quality inspections for strawberries and red and green grapes. The company plans to expand the tool to cover the entire berry section and scale it nationwide while incorporating additional fresh products.

According to the company, early results show increased rating consistency among different inspectors and shifts, faster decision-making in the inspection process, expanded quality data collection, and improved alignment with internal quality standards.

"We built the AI-powered Intelligent Quality Control tool to support our team of talented quality inspectors in our distribution centers, and early results show it's been incredibly helpful in increasing the consistency of quality rating," said Evan Rainwater, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer for Albertsons.

The tool was developed in-house by Albertsons technology and supply chain teams with advisory support from Google Cloud. The system integrates into existing distribution center workflows.

This development follows other AI initiatives at Albertsons, including the Ask AI tool launched in 2025 that helps customers with product discovery and recommendations. The company operates 2,244 retail stores with 1,713 in-store pharmacies across 35 states and the District of Columbia.