Talking about AgTech BS with ChatGPT

May 19th, 2023 - My 35th Edition of Easy Observations in Agriculture

May 19, 2023

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Opening Thoughts:

I’m being really lazy for this edition I can tell you. Why? To keep it simple where I live in ND basically went from winter, to spring, to floods and rain, to summer in like 3 weeks. I wish I was kidding. Anyway, with that said it I thought I’d do that thing all the kids are talking about and use a tool that is supposed to save you a lot of time and mental energy. Enter ChatGPT….

So I’ve used it before for a few different things and actually as I write this I’ve been using it to create some pretty stout legal documents for a variety of things I’m working on. The shit is good or I guess better than anything I could write up in a few hours after looking through old legal docs and just rehashing them. I’ve dealt with 100s and just searching old ones to change up for current times takes hours in itself.

There is a trick though to it all I feel and that really is asking the question you want correctly. That can take some time to figure out, but anyway it’s a pretty sweet tool and naturally will get better.

Now to dive into it all… I’ve been sort of in a mind lapse of what to write about lately, but taking what the odd balls call a “bio break” or as one normal man might call his thinking chair, I just said to myself, “Think of a question!” So I did and to be lazy I asked ChatGPT the same thing.

Below is the direct result of what it said and my weird simple added and crazy quick thoughts around it for which why you all are reading my this.

Me and the Robot: The Question and the Answer

The Question:

What are 10 things the AgTech industry hasn't perfected or answered at all yet?

The Answer:

While the AgTech industry has made significant advancements, there are still several challenges and unanswered questions that remain. Here are 10 areas where AgTech has yet to achieve perfection or find complete solutions:

Data interoperability: Integrating data from various sources, such as sensors, machinery, and weather stations, into a unified system is still a complex task in AgTech.
Standardization: The lack of standardized protocols and formats for data collection, sharing, and analysis poses challenges for seamless collaboration and compatibility among different AgTech solutions.
Cybersecurity: As AgTech relies heavily on data collection and automation, ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive agricultural data and preventing cyber threats remains an ongoing concern.
Autonomous decision-making: While there have been significant advancements in autonomous machinery and robotics, developing intelligent systems that can make complex decisions based on real-time data and contextual factors is still an area of improvement.
Regulatory frameworks: AgTech operates within a complex regulatory environment that varies across regions and countries. Developing harmonized and adaptable regulations that foster innovation while ensuring safety and sustainability is a continual challenge.
Resource optimization: While AgTech has made strides in optimizing resource usage, such as water and fertilizers, there is still room for improvement in maximizing resource efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
Adoption barriers: Despite the benefits AgTech offers, adoption rates among farmers can be low due to various factors, including cost, lack of technical expertise, and resistance to change. Addressing these barriers and promoting widespread adoption is an ongoing challenge.
Weather prediction accuracy: Accurate and timely weather forecasting is crucial for agricultural planning and management. Improving weather prediction models, especially for localized and short-term forecasts, remains an area of focus.
Climate change adaptation: Climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture. Developing resilient AgTech solutions that can adapt to changing climates, extreme weather events, and shifting pest and disease patterns is a complex task that requires ongoing research and innovation.
Social and ethical implications: AgTech raises important social and ethical questions, such as the impact on rural communities, labor dynamics, and the potential concentration of power. Addressing these concerns and ensuring equitable and responsible deployment of AgTech technologies is an ongoing challenge.

While progress is being made in these areas, they highlight some of the ongoing challenges and unanswered questions in the AgTech industry, where continued innovation and collaboration are necessary.

I’m only Human:

I’m just going to add my extra thoughts to these same bullet points. I’ll say this though for sure, those automatic answers are not wrong. They just are not fun and do not get to the real simple answer either. It’s more like the corporate answer or one you can only publish so as not to get into trouble.

Anyway…

Data interoperability: Complex…sure. This is not the issue though really. It’s lack or care and laziness by the the majors to change anything as it’ll help others gain into their already controlled narrative. Looking at you machinery groups….
Standardization: Really it’s the same as 1 but with another factor. Legacy stuff in Ag is a lot weirder compared to other industries. For instance, will a 10 year old computer work for modern needs…not really. Will a 30 year old tractor with a 10 year old gps system work? Probably. LEGACY CRAP…
Cybersecurity: Beyond whatever is already standard via whatever other cloud groups now, Ag is terrible at this. The only thing saving Ag right now around this is probably because we are always 10-20 years behind or more so most hackers already forgot what the old process was and now don’t care.
Autonomous decision-making: Sort of weird one considering the whole ChatGPT thing here, but really if you get into the agronomic decisions it’s just way to complex and most outsiders building these tools have no clue. Black and White answers are hard to create too.
Regulatory frameworks: All I’ll say here is our current political environments everyone are freaking crazy right now so yeah…
Resource optimization: Unless number 5 happens in whatever way, beyond people just wanting to be better or more efficient most just don’t care. If they’ve been making money the same way for years they won’t change unless forced.
Adoption barriers: Basically, farmers don’t want to pay for shit because certain groups gave it away to gain users to get more investment. Add on many just don’t care because of 6 then you get this.
Weather prediction accuracy: Remember when a few said they could tell you how much it rained on a field? What everyone wants…yes. What is possible from current weather satellites, multiple stations, and algorithms….okay. Not good enough. I will say though, I know a group that can basically count water droplets and how it varies locally like within a field so talk to me if curious.
Climate change adaptation: From politics, to beliefs, to money, to regulations, to just plain being tired of all the rhetoric…unless people are paid to change they just won’t unless of course forced.
Social and ethical implications: I like this one as I feel very very few talk about it. Cool! Robots! Yeah, but what about the companies and families that rely on that type of work in rural areas. It’s a good point. Go to data ownership, who knows what, privacy, and what data can do in the hands of the wrong people and you get a giant wildfire of a problem. Fun stuff…

As a whole, we as an Ag Industry and the AgTech sector have to keep pushing. We all make mistakes and can take more time than thought to get to something better, but the more we understand why I think the better for all.

That’s my peace for the week and I’d really like to hear what you all think around this as well.

Thanks for reading Easy Observations! Please Share, Subscribe, and Comment if you would be so kind. I’d also be happy to get together and meet if you’d like to talk more in-depth about AgTech or Earth Observation in Ag. Feel free to contact me at my website. All the best!