Artificial intelligence and autonomous equipment are making their way into agriculture, promising to reduce labor costs, improve efficiency, and address persistent workforce shortages. But new research suggests replacing farmworkers isn’t nearly as straightforward as technology developers might hope.
A University of California, Davis, study examining 16 fruit-growing operations in California and Washington found that even the most advanced agricultural technologies still depend heavily on human experience and judgment.
Published in the journal New Technology, Work and Employment, the research draws on 165 interviews with farmworkers, managers, and growers, along with extensive field observations of how robotic and AI-powered equipment performs in commercial orchards…