The agriculture industry is experiencing a major shift toward artificial intelligence and smart farming systems to help feed a growing world population. Companies and researchers around the globe are using AI to make farming easier and more efficient, but experts say AI alone is not the answer to all farming problems.

One of the biggest announcements this week came from Syngenta and technology company SAP, who joined forces to use AI across their entire business. The partnership aims to help Syngenta make better decisions faster, from growing crops to managing supply chains. They plan to use AI-assisted tools and data analysis to strengthen farming operations worldwide and prepare for feeding about 10 billion people by 2050.

Meanwhile, in Canada, smart farming is growing quickly. The B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation is supporting a new project with Windset Farms near Vancouver that uses sensors and machine learning to monitor plant health and control greenhouse conditions automatically. The project also includes training programs to help people learn agricultural robotics and farming technology skills.

Expert investors and farmers agree that the best AI tools solve real farm problems. Rather than just using fancy technology, successful companies are proving their solutions work in actual fields before expanding. Farmers want technology that lowers costs quickly and fits into their existing work without making things too complicated.

However, AI has limits, according to agriculture leaders. AI works best when it helps humans make decisions, not when it tries to replace farmer knowledge and experience. Researchers in Canada are using AI with satellite data to watch crops and even detect disease outbreaks early, but humans still need to check the results and make final decisions.

The push for smart automation continues with robots designed to reduce labor costs and perform tasks like weeding without chemicals. At universities in Canada, students are already learning about robotic weeding and other advanced farm technologies. Agricultural experts predict that in the coming months and years, AI tools will become smarter and more reliable, but they will always need human expertise to guide them properly.