Not long ago if you asked any vet or farmer what AI is they would, without a thought, tell you that it’s the process of getting a cow pregnant without a bull being present. However, nowadays, AI (Artificial Inteligence) seems to be the buzz word. I have mentioned before how AI is already being used in agriculture such as precise fertiliser and herbicide application, disease monitoring and crop harvesting. Even driverless tractors are being developed using AI.

The implementation of AI in agriculture opens up quite a lot of business opportunities for the agricultural industry in general. Dealers are embracing this new development but there is still a reluctance from farmers to embrace AI. Perhaps it is from fear of the unknown that is preventing them invest in this new technology. Farmers need to understand that AI is there to help them run their farm more efficiently.

There is no denying that the initial investment in AI technology is expensive and that in itself can be a turn-off, particularly to small farm holdings. Government grants would be a great help here. However, The benefits of AI in agriculture are both economically and environmentally beneficial. Fertiliser and chemical applications can be reduced by up to 80% as they are only applied where needed.

There has been a lot of negative publicity over AI. Security and privacy issues are some of the concerns. To gain the confidence of our customers to use AI we will need to motivate, train and provide resources for them. 

AI technology can be daunting for our customers but to it can be just as daunting to dealers as well. Some dealers may not be fully on top of their game with this new technology. Earlier this year, in the US, a summit was held specifically for dealers specialising in precision farming. This was the 2023 Precision Farming Dealer Summit and it was the summit’s 8th year. It attracted dealers from across the United States, Canada and Australia. Some of the discussions at the summit touched on the need for dealers to get more training in how AI technology or precision farming works so that they can easily pass any knowledge on to their customers.

AI technology in agriculture is not just to benefit farmers and growers. Even dealers can use it to help run their business. During busy times of the year, such as spring sowing and autumn harvest, dealers can be overwhelmed with technical questions from farmers and contractors. With limited numbers of talented staff available within dealerships AI technology can come to the rescue. There are now programmes available that will help towards answering customers’ queries.

For example, CNH dealerships can avail of their visorPRO technology where an information vault is set up into which the technical manuals are loaded. Dealer staff can then enter customer questions to the programme and within 30 seconds they will get a response where the manual reference and page numbers are given, which can then be given to the customer.

With the Service Dealer Conference and Awards taking place this Thursday (30th November) at the Crown Plaza, Stratford upon Avon, I’m sure delegates attending will have ample opportunity to discuss all about AI technology and its future in our industry. It will generate a lot of interest for sure.