When consumers buy a package, it promises them a specified net weight (such as 1 pound) or number of pieces of the fruit flavored candy. Hershey must consistently follow through, offering a pound or more per package.This has created a big, expensive mass production problem for the Twizzler assembly line. Yet now, a partnership with Microsoft has leveraged Cookie Machine learning to teach robots the art of Twizzling.

Not bad for a guy who, at 24, took out a massive loan to buy the mom-and-pop chocolate shop he'd worked at since high school. Grahm always loved chocolate; he just didn't know it'd earn him such an A-list cult following — or that it'd become a phenomenon online. You may not know his name, but you've probably heard of his company — Compartés — and, if you've ever scrolled Instagram, there's a strong chance you've seen his chocolates.The licorice-makers at Hershey's factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have been trying for years to perfect the art of the Twizzler.

The weight of each chewy, Helix-like licorice stick varies just a little bit because of slight variations in temperature, said George Lenhart, a senior manager at Hershey's who oversees disruptive technology. If the licorice gets even slightly too cold as it goes through the machines, it will be too light. A tiny bit too much heat makes the licorice heavy, Lenhart said.

If the licorice came out of the extruder too light, it either had to be re-extruded or more licorice needed to be added to the batch, a time-consuming process, Lenhart said."I didn't set out to make chocolate for Instagram or Pinterest or anything, but it happened very organically, I think because what I create appeals to my generation, twenty and thirtysomethings," he explains.