119 AI in Agriculture

Introduction

Robots are taking over our jobs!!!!! Not really this is a notion that has been frequently voiced, especially with the recent addition of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce. While Ai is very capable of performing numerous tasks in a more efficient way than humans, it is far from perfect, even farther from completely displacing human jobs all together. In agriculture specifically there has been a major scare of a large-scale job loss with the simple tasks now being loaned out to automated machines. Examining the history of agriculture reveals a strong correlation between societal shifts and technological advancements. Agriculture has always made technological advancements in response to the new demands of a growing population. Now, with the global population at an all-time high, we require new methods of efficient farming in order to provide for humanity. This is where AI comes into play, it is the most efficient method to farm in a large enough quantity to keep the world fed. Contrary to popular belief, job displacement is not the largest effect of introducing AI into farming, in fact it creates jobs. There is substantial data that indicates AI will create jobs in many places in the farming world as well as improve the working conditions for the preexisting workers. By thoughtfully integrating AI into agriculture, we can improve both efficiency and the jobs of many while simultaneously growing enough food to sustain the rapid growth of the population (Walch, 2024).

Connection to STS

The outlook on agriculture has experienced numerous changes over time. During the Gilded Age (late 19th century), there was significant opposition to large scale industrial farming, many considered them to be unethical and unnatural. Many make claims that technology plays too big of a role in the production of our food. However, as society has adapted, and the dependence of technology in everyday life has increased, many have changed their perspective dramatically and believe that technology is our only hope for the future of food production (Funk,2020). With this change came the introduction of new agricultural technologies, such as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which involve altering crops to possess traits that enhance farming efficiency. GMOs opened the door for so many other technological advancements in farming with the newest being AI. Which has now been integrated in numerous ways to help ease the burden of farmers as well as increase the amount of food produced per farm. This marked the new age of farming leading to AI being introduced into nearly every sector of farming you can imagine from crop monitoring to crop harvesting.

• 1500 B.C. – The first animals were used to pull farm machinery
• 1698 – The first rough steam engine was produced
• 1834 –  The first mechanical combine was created
• 1869 – The first steam engine tractor was created
• 1907 – Ford builds a gasoline powered tractor
• 2014 – AI was introduced to farming

(Lessiter, 2023)

Missing Voices

“Missing Voices” refers to the underrepresentation or absence of certain perspectives in textbooks or educational materials. In agriculture, it is common to see the everyday laborer being overlooked. Despite the fact that field hands constitute approximately 63% of the workforce, their long hours are commonly overlooked when farming is discussed in history books. People do not understand the long hours and harsh conditions these day laborers endure in order to put food on your table. Yet when agriculture or farming is discussed only the farm owner is ever talked about in a positive light. In one article by NPR there are many firsthand accounts illustrating the hardships faced by many laborers who are significantly underrepresented in discussions about the food industry (Charles, 2016).  The lack of representation shows the strong disconnect between the realities of agricultural labor and public perception. It is crucial to recognize these hidden voices to get these hard workers the love and appreciation they deserve. Constantly we discuss the newest innovations of man but hardly ever do we discuss the men and women that helped in the creation of it even in the nominal parts. By doing this we can create a more accurate representation of what the agricultural industry consists of and gain a deeper appreciation of where food comes from.

What Is AI In Farming?

Since its introduction in early 2020, Ai has significantly enhanced multiple aspects of farming. One of the most impactful uses of AI has been in surveying and crop data analysis. AI- Powered tools can not only accurately monitor crops but also predict what they need or will need in the future. Therefore, maximizing the efficiency of which crops can be harvested producing the most crops per field that is possible (Walch, 2024). The data has been implemented using AI powered drones that fly over the field taking samples and monitoring the crops. These drones will autonomously navigate the fields in a set grid pattern and will identify crops needing more water, sun, and fertilizer. As seen in the image below there are multiple weed killing robots implemented across the United States. They are programmed to fly around

and find weeds that need to be killed. When they spot one, they will stop, lower themselves to the ground and spray the weed accurately ensuring only to hit the weed and not the plant. This has drastically impacted the amount of time taken on crop maintenance that would be needed from a human worker. It also minimizes the overspray that could happen from simple human error. This is just one of the many ways that farming with the use of AI can be more efficient than the traditional method of farming by hand. As AI continuously evolves one can hope to see one day where there is zero waste or byproducts of farming.

Conclusion

While the implementation of AI into agriculture has had many controversial moments with an ominous facade of mass job loss. There is significant data saying otherwise, in fact there is significant data showing that it will create more jobs in the farming industry that are higher paying and less labor enduring. As AI continues to permeate the workforce, society is likely to become more accustomed to it just as they became accustomed to modern technology being used in mass industrial style farming. While the notion of being replaced by autonomous robots is very unsettling, this scenario is not plausible or imminent. In fact, there is a very likely outcome where we rely on robots to sustain life. By embracing AI and new technology, we can improve efficiency and productivity, while creating new job opportunities and advancing our capabilities to meet the demands of a growing population.

Citations

Artificial Intelligence in agriculture market size report, 2030.  (n.d.). https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-in-agriculture-market

CBS Interactive. (n.d.). Drones and robots could replace some field workers as farming goes high-tech. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/farming-goes-high-tech/

Charles, D. (2016, July 15). Inside the lives of farmworkers: Top 5 lessons I learned on the ground. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/15/484967591/inside-the-lives-of-farmworkers-top-5-lessons-i-learned-on-the-ground

Express Computer. (2024, November 7). Using AI-powered drones to transform modern crop monitoring and farm management. https://www.expresscomputer.in/news/using-ai-powered-drones-to-transform-modern-crop-monitoring-and-farm-management/118502/

Funk, C. (2020, March 18). About half of U.S. adults are wary of health effects of genetically modified foods, but many also see advantages. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/03/18/about-half-of-u-s-adults-are-wary-of-health-effects-of-genetically-modified-foods-but-many-also-see-advantages/

Lessiter, F., & Lessiter, M. (2023, October 16). Timeline of AG Equipment “firsts.” Farm Equipment. https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/4269-timeline-of-ag-equipment-firsts

Walch, K. (2024, October 25). Is the future of Agriculture Autonomous Farms? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenwalch/2024/10/21/is-the-future-of-agriculture-autonomous-farms/

Young, S. (2020a, January 9). The future of farming: Artificial Intelligence and Agriculture. Harvard International Review. https://hir.harvard.edu/the-future-of-farming-artificial-intelligence-and-agriculture/

Images

Image 1: “IRRI BBM rice drone demo 2.jpg” by Christopher Hedreyd – PIA 4A CALABARZON, Wikimedia Commons is in the Public Domain, CC0

AI Statement

This chapter was enhanced with the assistance of AI tools to support research, drafting, and editing processes.