THE RISE OF AI IN AGRICULTURE

Is it time to move away from human labour?

Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI, has been the talk of the town in recent times with the publication of easy-to-access programs such as ChatGPT. We know that the purpose of AI is to help make our lives easier, but there is also confusion surrounding what it is and how it works, especially for sectors such as agriculture where automation has already saturated the field. The following is an in-depth look at what AI can potentially do for your agri-business.

AI is certainly not brand-new for small businesses and consumers alike. For instance, when you’re using a search engine such as Google, using Siri on your iPhone, or scrolling through social media, looking through a carefully curated feed made just for you, you’re using AI. Generally, the way it works is that information is constantly fed to the system and the system learns its language and trends, making it easier or more suitable for your palate to find information. So, what does the next step in AI for agriculture look like and how can this affect your agri-business?

Recently on agriculture Twitter, a video of an AI based laser weeder went viral. In the video, we see an autonomous robotic weeder shooting lasers at the field and precisely eradicating weeds. According to the maker of the weeder, Carbon Robotics, the machine “utilizes high-power lasers to eradicate weeds using thermal energy, without disturbing the soil”. The makers also promote that the machine is not only more effective than herbicides, but also improves yields.

This is clearly a game changer; the tweet garnered an incredible number of responses in a very short amount of time (14.5 million views in one day) with even Elon Musk showing interest. Machines like this could save a lot of time and worry for many Canadian farmers who are currently facing labour shortages. The machine not only runs 24/7 but it works in virtually all weather and is better for the environment.

Another AI based software that has recently made headlines in the Canadian farm world is the Herd management/BETSY monitoring software, made by OneCup AI. This software is designed for livestock management. It works by placing cameras in high traffic areas of the barn, and using facial and full body recognition software, it alerts the farmer of any significant events through text messages.

This allows the farmer the breathing room to turn their attention away from the barn for a little while to tend to other business. The software also provides a portal where farmers can keep track of their livestock record, ranging from livestock health, activity, growth, to nutrition.

AI tools such as the ones mentioned above may provide incredible benefits for small agri-business owners who are running around trying to juggle ten different tasks. Not only could it save them time, but it may also save them the trouble of having to look for labour in a tight market.

This all sounds great for the future of our agriculture sector. However, is there truly no bad side to this?

To start off, machines such as the autonomous robotic weeder are very costly. While Carbon Robotics does not share the exact price of the LaserWeeder, CEO Paul Mikesell has stated that the cost is comparable to a mid-size tractor. For a small farm business, this is not a cost that’s easy to cough up. Carbon Robotics does make the argument that farmers will see a return on the money that they’re saving in the long run within 1 to 3 years. However, there’s no guarantee that the many small farms that are already struggling will survive to see the returns.

In terms of AI software costs, OneCup AI’s software pricing is on a subscription basis; the basic herd management software costs $19 per month and the BETSY Monitoring software costs $39/Month per Camera. While this does seem a lot more affordable compared to the weeder, the cost does add up, especially if you’re using more than one camera.

Another cautionary detail is cyber security. As talked about in our September 2022 column (Rural Crime & Security), interconnected smart sensors, smart meters, cameras, digital payment methods, etc., are becoming a threat to Canadian agriculture’s cyber security. Not only are finances vulnerable to attack, but information, records, and data are all at risk when using AI technology. Of course, agri-businesses can stay informed and take extra security measures, but this may come with additional time and money spent.

Lastly, although it sounds like these machines and software will be an end many longstanding problems in agriculture, AI is not without limitations. There may be angles that cameras miss, system errors creating failures to send text alerts, and certain crops that won’t be properly recognized with the current machine. AI is always learning, and companies will continuously improve features, but errors will always pop up every so often.

Like all things in the world, there’s two sides to AI. While it could be a life-changing revolutionary tool for one, it could be an unresponsive piece of junk to another. One thing for sure however, AI is not to replace people but should rather be used to help people focus on more important tasks. No matter where we sit with AI, there will always be a need for human hands.

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SeoRhin Yoo is a Policy Analyst for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and mediumsized businesses with 97,000 members (4,500 agribusiness members) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca. Businesses, available on the CFIB website in both English and French.