Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Agriculture
This story is part of the 2024–2025 CSANR Biennial Report.
By Alex Kirkpatrick, CSANR
A new series of video lectures explores the increasing presence of AI in agtech, and the role of ag professionals as communicators of innovation.
Agricultural professionals such as crop consultants and Extension agents are impactful science communicators. From fields to research centers, ag professionals are trusted advisers standing at the frontier of science and society. They will play a critical role in agriculture’s acceptance or rejection of AI.
AI is set to reshape agriculture. More than a buzzword, AI is a science and a set of innovations that now underpin many everyday technologies. We already see AI innovations changing the nature of global industry, human work, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the market for agricultural AI specifically is rapidly expanding. In anticipation of these emerging impacts, we developed 10 online video lectures with accompanying readings and resources. Our goal is to equip ag professionals with a stronger understanding and awareness of AI in agriculture, and the confidence to communicate its potential risks and benefits to others.
To achieve our goal, we have created a digital space where ag professionals can explore and engage with video lectures at their own pace. The project draws from a foundation of theory, literature, and interviews with ag professionals. During interviews, ag professionals expressed strong curiosity about AI, what it is, where it operates, and how it might advance or complicate sustainability. Many described both optimism and uncertainty, noting challenges in defining, recognizing and explaining AI’s influence on agriculture and the future of farming. These insights and more guided the design and delivery of the videos, which were written and refined in close collaboration with ag and science communication experts. The series covers topics such as defining AI and machine learning, communicating risk, public understanding, AI ethics, and the economic impacts of automation.
Through this initiative, which was supported by Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and Agriculture AI Institute for Transforming Workforce and Decision Support, we aim to empower ag professionals to lead trustworthy, transparent, and well-informed conversations about the role of AI in sustainable agriculture.