Victor Hugo, the notable French author of titular works like Les Misérables, once said, “Tobacco is the plant that converts thoughts into dreams.” While this may seem strange at first, his point is that tobacco and the cigars made from it are far more than just a treated plant meant to be smoked; they’re an impetus for conversation. Many of the world’s greatest thinkers, like Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Sigmund Freud, and more, spent many hours theorizing and debating over the comfort of a cigar.
Today, that time-honored tradition of well-mannered, substantive discussions over a stogie continues to bring joy to many Nevadans. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hybrid and remote work, the conversations the cigars incentivize are often a way to reconnect and build connections through unhurried, authentic, face-to-face interaction.
Recognizing the value of discussions like these, I founded the Cigars & Conversations group. This group is meant to serve as a forum for professionals of all ages to come together and discuss the topics most important to them—like career advancement, new investment opportunities and ventures, politics, and more. In the time it’s been around, I have been amazed to see its reception and growth, becoming a diverse group of folks who prefer refreshing civil dialogue over the divisiveness we see and hear in the news each day. It’s become a place for all to be heard and understood.
Our group is rooted in a long heritage of cigars that dates back centuries. It’s a heritage that has not and likely will never change. However, the cigar industry has undergone significant developments, bringing us closer to high-quality, more accessible cigars for all.
Much like any other agricultural product, the tobacco industry has been quick to integrate technological innovations that help to improve production yields and quality or adapt the product to be more resilient to shifting conditions.
However, for cigar lovers, the most exciting innovation in the field is made possible by recent advances in artificial intelligence. With machine learning and pattern recognition, AI is helping producers with things like scanning tobacco leaves for imperfections and assisting with rolling and smokers with smart humidors that automatically regulate temperature and humidity. These integrations work to help produce higher-quality cigars and ensure that enthusiasts of all levels of experience can take care of them.
One of the most exciting uses of AI in the cigar industry is blending the perfect cigar. By crowdsourcing feedback from cigar smokers around the globe, companies like Bentley Tobacco are wielding artificial intelligence to blend what could become the ideal smoke.
Yet, given the extraordinary leaps we’ve seen other sectors take with the help of AI, I have no doubt that these initial functions are just the beginning. Perhaps one day, we’ll use AI to individually blend the cigars tailored in every detail to its intended recipient.
Until then, I hope we continue to foster an environment welcoming to AI innovation and to continue to have productive, informed dialogues on the issue that allow it to evolve and advance.
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Rich Robledo is an entrepreneur and is the founder of Cigars & Conversation.
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