87% of US agriculture businesses are currently using AI

Added on 21 November 2021

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87% of US agriculture businesses are currently using AI technologies, up from 74% at this time last year, according to new research released today.

91% of agriculture industry executives also feel ethical standards in the development and use of emerging technologies can represent a competitive advantage for businesses. These figures suggest that the sector is in step with other major industries when it comes to innovation and embracing technological advances.

Of the eight sectors canvassed, agriculture was second only to the insurance and exhibitions industries, which placed joint first with 88% of executives reporting they used AI within their organizations. The ag sector's spending on training also grew, with nine in ten (90%) offering training on AI technologies, up from 87% in 2020 and compared to an industry average of 83%.

The findings come from the latest annual 2021 RELX Emerging Tech Study, carried out by Proagrica parent RELX through IPSOS Mori. The fourth annual cross-sector study canvassed more than 1,000 senior executives in the US on their investment, attitude, and predictions on AI technologies.

Meanwhile, 63% agree the tech had a positive impact in making their companies more resilient to fallouts of the pandemic.

Lindsay Suddon, Chief Strategy Officer at Proagrica, comments: "Investment in emerging technologies has been a fixture of the ag sector, even before the pandemic, and these latest figures confirm that this is an industry that is always looking to innovate. It doesn't come as a surprise to someone who worked in this space for as long as I have!

"It also shows that the ag sector is heading in the right direction in embracing technology to build in greater efficiencies. This bodes well for the next generation of growers, who will expect technological literacy across the sector, which will only bring further success, and therefore more innovation."

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