What do future farmers need to know?

What does AI actually mean for the future of Australian agriculture? Andrew and Matt are joined by grain and pork producer Sharon Starick, Chair of the GRDC and the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations, to discuss how artificial intelligence and new technology are changing the agricultural workforce. They look at where AI can genuinely improve productivity, which jobs and skills may change, and why experience, critical thinking and human judgement remain difficult to replace. Sharon also shares a cautionary example from her own canola crop, where ChatGPT and the agronomist came up with very different diagnoses. The conversation ranges from automating the boring jobs on farm to cybersecurity, data ownership, robotics, research, the skills agriculture will need from the next generation and whether AI might actually make a career in agriculture more attractive. Plus pigs, black pudding, Powderfinger and the important distinction between artificial intelligence, artificial insemination and avian influenza. Remember and support the podcast by sharing with your friends and family.