Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption Is Accelerating—Fast!

Just a few years ago, you couldn’t visit the website of an ag company without seeing references to reducing carbon footprints or promoting regenerative farming. Today, the focus has shifted to how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being integrated into products—or used in their production.

AI utilization and adoption in agriculture are advancing at warp speed!

In 2024, global revenues for AI in agriculture surpassed $1.8 billion. That figure is expected to grow by 33% in 2025 and by 66% in 2026. Software holds the largest market share, accounting for 45.2%.

My first exposure to AI was with Carbon Robotics and their laser weeder. In 2022, I was in a field near West Bend, Iowa, where the team explained how the machine improved its plant identification abilities with every pass. Using AI, it quickly learned to differentiate weeds from soybean plants—even those damaged by pests or disease. Over time, it could identify a wide range of crops and the weeds associated with each. (See Carbon Robotics’ new laser weeder for row crops at the upcoming Nebraska Ag Expo this December.)

Fast forward to 2025, and multiple AI-powered robots and implements are now being used for weeding and harvesting. While only a few have made it to the Midwest, a glimpse of what’s coming can be found at Future Farming. It’s only a matter of time before these machines become common in U.S. fields.

Companies ignoring these innovations may be left behind. Ag chemical giants BASF and Yara have acknowledged the potential disruption to their core business and invested in Ecorobotix, a precision sprayer company. Ecorobotix expects to generate over $500 million in sales over the next five years—and claims its tech can reduce chemical use by up to 90%.

AI has also entered irrigation. AI-enabled systems now optimize water usage based on soil moisture, crop health, and weather forecasts.

In livestock operations, AI-powered cameras monitor animal health, detect abnormal behavior, and identify early signs of illness. These systems can also analyze feed and environmental data to improve productivity. Sensors and imagery are another rapidly evolving area. Just a year ago, drone-generated maps were often low resolution. Today, companies like Taranis, Sentera, and Skysense provide high-definition imagery that can distinguish crops from weeds with remarkable precision.

TOM JUNGE Sr. Expo Director [tomj@ineda.com]

AI-powered vision spraying, drones, sensors, and satellite imagery are quickly becoming essential tools for growers. Sentera even closed its 2025 subscription offering early due to high demand—it sold out in February.

John Deere took notice. In May, the company announced the acquisition of Sentera, a leading provider of remote imagery solutions. Sentera’s system uses aerial imaging and AI to detect weeds and generate herbicide prescriptions—with less than a 24-hour turnaround from drone flight to application map. Sentera was seen as a potential competitor to Deere’s own See & Spray system, offering a lower upfront cost and faster coverage per acre.

At Commodity Classic, New Holland and Case IH announced they will integrate Raven Industries’ Sense & Act technology into their sprayers starting in 2026. The IntelliSense Sprayer Automation system features a cab-mounted SenseApply Camera that scans conditions 50 feet ahead across the entire boom width—resulting in faster and more accurate applications. Targeted spraying is expected to see major growth in the coming years, driven by its potential to deliver significant cost savings for growers.

Beyond equipment, AI is also transforming agronomic insights. Syngenta is partnering with AI-driven crop health company Enko to discover new weed control molecules, fueling innovation in herbicide development. Agmatix and BASF are collaborating on a digital solution to detect and predict soybean cyst nematode infestations.

AI is here—and unlike some past technologies, it’s becoming user-friendly quickly. Just look at ChatGPT. In under a year, it went from novel to mainstream, with users able to type in requests and receive clear, actionable insights. We’ve shifted from “Google it” to having AI synthesize our searches for us.

AI is transforming agriculture. Maybe calling it “warp speed” is a stretch—but this feels faster than past tech revolutions. As implementation costs drop and adoption rises, it’s hard to imagine where we’ll be in just a few years.

It’s exciting! 