Should a robot take your job?
The choice is stark: either stubbornly force human workers into boxes where AI excels, or fluidly evolve work to unlock grander human potential.
This blog post will make an unabashed case for the latter. Not popular opinion, perhaps, but vitally important as AI reshapes the economic landscape. The nature of work is transforming whether we like it or not.
The task at hand is guiding this change with wisdom, foresight and compassion for those caught in the currents of technological change
For millennia, agriculture has been a story of humans versus nature. Farmers rise with the sun, toiling away in fields and orchards. They put their sweat and will against the whims of weather, pests, and disease. Agriculture has always been driven by human labour. But in the 21st century, that is changing, as artificial intelligence emerges as the farmer’s new ally.
In this blog, I argue that AI is not only beneficial, but absolutely necessary, for the future of agriculture and horticulture. As a society, we have a responsibility to embrace transformative technologies like AI to sustainably meet the planet’s food demands.?
Agriculture is reaching an inflection point. The choices we make today will determine whether AI ushers in an agricultural revolution we sorely need – or whether we allow an antiquated resistance to progress to block solutions that can responsibly feed billions. But before we look ahead, it’s worth understanding the history that brought us here.
Index of Key Points
?A History of Agricultural Revolutions
Humanity and agriculture have always been intertwined, each driving the other’s evolution. When hunter-gatherer lifestyles could no longer sustain growing populations, we turned the earth with wooden tools, selecting seeds from the most bountiful plants. This Neolithic Revolution led to permanent settlements and multiplied society’s agricultural knowledge.
And yet, early farming was tremendously labour-intensive. Oxen and horses were domesticated to plough fields. Canals were dug to irrigate crops. Agriculture was teetering on the edge of another revolution.?
In the 18th century, steam engines mechanised tasks like threshing. By the late 19th century, gasoline tractors had largely replaced animal power. The Green Revolution of the 1960s then turbocharged yields through selective breeding and agrochemicals.
In just 12,000 years, agriculture has progressed from stick farming to GPS-guided machinery. At each technological leap, there were sceptics. But history reveals that society always adapted to benefit from technological change.?
AI represents the next great leap. So why meet resistance now? Perhaps it’s because for the first time, the machines seem to encroach on human intelligence. Fields will no longer be worked solely by calloused hands. But I believe working with the machines is the only path to sustainably nourish our growing population. The only question is whether we choose to make that path as prosperous and inclusive as possible.
Now, let’s dig into the incredible potential of AI in agriculture.?
The Power to Feed a Growing World Sustainably
By 2050, our planet will be home to nearly 10 billion people. Feeding so many will place unprecedented strains on natural resources and labour. But AI-driven agriculture can unlock solutions hidden to humans alone.?
For generations, farmers have been trapped in reactionary mode, responding to each day's challenges with best guesses. But AI’s limitless data processing enables proactive precision optimised for every crop and acre.?
Here are three ways AI-powered agriculture can help feed the world sustainably:
?Optimising Inputs to Reduce Waste
Current farming practices are often inefficient. Too much water is used. Excess fertiliser leaches into watersheds. Herbicides blanket entire fields. It’s like trying to lose weight by eating ten meals a day. You get results, but with tremendous waste.
AI analytics help farmers use exactly what's needed and not a drop more. AIs crunch terabytes of data on hyper-local conditions, predicting ideal inputs down to the cubic foot. They model long-term impacts of water use, projecting shortages years in advance. This surgical precision reduces resource waste while maintaining yields.
For example, Blue River Technology’s “see and spray” weed control system uses computer vision to identify specific weed locations. Herbicides are applied only where needed, reducing chemical usage up to 90% compared to broadcast spraying. When resources go exactly where needed, it’s better for crops, costs and the planet.
?Early Issue Detection to Protect Harvests
Farmers are constantly under threat from pests, fungi and extreme weather. But spotting a problem early is difficult. By the time clues are noticeable, the harvest may be doomed.
Enter AI pest scouts and plant health monitors. Satellite data can now detect crop stress signals of disease days before any physical symptoms emerge. Drones with hyperspectral cameras fly over fields, algorithmically analysing plants. Any anomalies trigger alerts, allowing rapid response to keep plants thriving.
Start-up's like Agremo and PEAT are building AI systems that can diagnose plant illnesses and recommend treatments from photographs. By flagging imminent threats early, AI defensive systems protect harvests and livelihoods.
?Making Every Acre Count Through Precision
Global agricultural space is finite, but AI can help farmers make every acre ultra-efficient. Agricultural robotics company Carbon Robotics has an autonomous weeder able to eliminate more than a million weeds per acre with precision spraying. This surgical removal maximises crop yields in the same footprint.?
Meanwhile, Gamaya’s hyperspectral AI platform provides incredible visibility into crop health down to each plant, enabling corrective actions tailored to micro-conditions in each location. Farmers know exactly which areas need more water, fertiliser or pest control. Waste is minimised, and outputs are maximised.?
AI doesn’t create more arable land. But what it does create is resilience and abundance that helps feed families, communities and generations to come.
Decoding the Carbon Question: AI’s Sustainability Impact?
A question often raised regarding AI in agriculture is its sustainability footprint. There are concerns about increased computing demands and additional waste from complex technical systems. But used thoughtfully, AI can actually enable greener, low-carbon farming practices.
?Balancing Carbon Costs
Expanding data infrastructure does require energy. However, computing efficiency is also rapidly improving. NVIDIA’s artificial intelligence supercomputer, for example, has the power of 800 CPUs but uses only 1/80th of the energy. These massive leaps in AI chip efficiency offset infrastructure carbon costs.
In fact, a recent MIT study found that efficiency gains in precision agriculture can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% compared to conventional practices. When AI shrinks fuel and resource waste, the carbon dividends outweigh computing costs. The net impact is overwhelmingly positive.
?Investing in Renewables
AI and renewable energy can go hand in hand. Wind and solar projects can help power server farms and machine learning. Data centres can be strategically sited to leverage green power infrastructure.??
Google pioneered the model of siting data centres close to solar and wind installations in rural areas. Its Hamina, Finland facility alone is powered by nearly 200 wind turbines spinning along the Baltic Sea coast.
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The key is proactive planning to co-locate renewable energy and computing assets. With forethought, AI systems can run on pixels generated from placid lakes rather than fossil fuels extracted from the depths of the earth.
?A Regenerative Ripple Effect
Most compellingly, AI unlocks farming practices that regenerate ecosystems and sequester carbon. Zero-till methods enabled by AI maintain soils for carbon storage while increasing fertility. Targeted, low-herbicide approaches reduce agriculture’s chemical burden on the atmosphere.
Right now, agriculture accounts for around 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. AI-powered innovation is critical to reversing this equation, transforming farms from carbon sources to carbon sinks. The enabling effects of AI have a regenerative ripple effect across entire value chains.
?Humanity’s Place in the AI-Enabled Farm
Some argue that machines will make human skills in agriculture obsolete. While AI unlocks incredible potential, there remains an essential and evolving role for human capabilities like creativity, adaptability, and the nurturing of life.
?Leveraging Purpose-Driven Technology?
AI systems excel at optimising known variables like moisture or crop yields. But growing food involves more than microscopic precision. Farming remains an art requiring judgement, values and ethics.
Technology companies have a responsibility to engineer systems that enhance people and communities. AI should never be solely about driving quarterly profits. Systems must be continuously updated to reflect feedback from real-world farmers. Domain experts and local stakeholders should be involved from day one of development. AI is a tool meant for collaboration, not replacement.
?Creativity and Problem-Solving
Then there are dimensions of farming where humans clearly prevail - creativity and imagination. While AIs can statistically weigh known options, radical new solutions often derive from an intuitive spark.
Take crop disease management. If an unexpected new fungus emerges, humans draw from experience to improvise treatments. Machines falter with novel challenges outside their training. The unity of human creativity and machine power is stronger than either alone.
?Meaningful Work and Purpose??
Perhaps most importantly, farming is not just an occupation - for countless people, it is a cultural identity and source of purpose. The lifelong sense of meaning derived from nurturing living things cannot be replicated by algorithmic prescriptions alone.?
That is why those displaced from manual agricultural work must be supported to find new purpose. Vocational programs can help farmers transfer their invaluable tacit knowledge to stewarding AI systems. Together, people and technology can grow food the world needs while cultivating lives of dignity.
?A Multitude of New Roles?
Transition does not mean human extinction. As with previous agricultural revolutions, new specialised roles will emerge, leveraging uniquely human strengths while ceding repetitive tasks to AI:
AI Trainers - Like animal whisperers, but for machine learning models. Domain experts will provide real-world examples and feedback to optimise algorithms.
Data Labeller's - AI is only as good as its training data. Skilled humans must categorise, tag and structure the data that feeds models.
Farm Cyber Security - As farms come online, hacking vulnerabilities will explode. Expert defenders will be needed to protect data and machinery.?
AI Maintenance Technicians - Keeping complex systems running involves human oversight and troubleshooting. Hands-on technical roles will keep farms functioning.
Sustainable Design Consultants - More than ever, farmers will need partners to implement technology thoughtfully. Human experts can provide an ethical compass.
Vertical Farm Managers - Indoor urban farms will require workforce guidance. Technical aptitude will be supplemented with plant care intuition.
This is but a sample of positions for displaced labourers to pivot into. With vision, we can cultivate opportunity from change.
?The Future Bounty of Agriculture with AI
What awaits around the bend if society chooses to responsibly integrate AI into agriculture? I envision a revolution with echoes of the very first farming breakthroughs. AI can unlock the abundance and predictability that rescued ancient people from the caprice of the natural world.
?Resilient Food Systems
Weather shocks and disease often decimate harvests, plunging communities into deprivation. But AI-enabled farms will be ever vigilant for the first signs of threats, allowing them to take protective measures and maintain stable yields. Food systems can be resilient even in the face of climate change through the fusion of human wisdom and machine foresight.?
?A Dematerialized Food Chain?
AI optimization will drastically reduce waste across the value chain. Fruits and grains will no longer rot in distant silos. Distribution from farm to table will be presciently choreographed using predictions of demand, storage life, and delivery routes. Food will materialise on plates with metronomic efficiency, maximising enjoyment while minimising waste.
?Local and Global Empowerment
Small family farms will reap the benefits of insights once only accessible to conglomerates. At the same time, global cooperation in AI development can spread techniques for sustainable abundance. AI could rejuvenate rural economies while connecting society in new ways through shared technology.
?Balanced Natural Synergies
Most importantly, AI systems allow us to maintain the natural world that ultimately sustains us. Forests can rebound as precision agriculture intensifies yields on existing lands. Clean water and air will flow as chemicals drop. People and the planet will thrive in harmony, the age-old barriers between the human and natural realms finally giving way.
This future is not unattainable science fiction. The building blocks already exist. Every season, more intelligent machines till fields while algorithms churn through data in the cloud. But technology alone is not enough. We need the will and wisdom to guide it toward the betterment of all life.
For millennia, farmers have risen with the sun to toil with furrowed brow and weary bones. They have experienced agriculture’s merciless and unpredictable cycle of bounty and devastation. AI offers respite, not replacement. It injects data-driven prescience and sustainable order into our relationship with the land.?
Agriculture has always been an act of faith, the sowing of seeds in the hope that the sky will provide sun and rain. Now, AI gives us tools to understand that sky more deeply. It helps remove guesswork and provide stability. AI is the coming together of nature's mysteries and human knowledge. This time, the future we reap can be one of abundance.
Danial Hall, Gardens and Horticulture.