It’s important to remember, though, that the road to AI and complete machine autonomy is a long one. “Completely replacing a human is pretty hard to do - today,” said Michael Gomes, vice president of business development for Agriculture at Topcon. Along the journey toward AI, several important steps can be taken that can have a profound effect on the way food is produced.

One of the critical drivers of widespread adoption of autonomous ag technology will be cost vs. value. Like any new technology, there will be a learning curve and fusion onto the farm will be gradual. Dr. Scott Shearer, ag engineering professor at Ohio State University, doesn’t foresee automation being a wholesale replacement to human oversight on the farm.