Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
A conference on artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture will occur April 15-17, 2024 inCollege Station, Texas. The conference will focus on AI for "Innovation and Discovery to Manage Sustainability in a New World of Environmental Stress", following two successful AI conferencesfocused on other topics. We seek to expand the focus and participation beyond the southeastern U.S., supporting a transdisciplinary community of researchers, educators, extension experts and industries. Since the last meeting planning, there has been an explosion of new research, tools and challenges around AI in Agriculture across diverse domains. These are quickly evolving areas so communication opportunities to share ideas, best practices, and issues will increase the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture and minimize silos. We expect 400 attendees from across the country as well as over 100 online participants. Local hosts include Texas A&M University (1862 Land-Grant), Prairie View A&M University (1890 Land-Grant) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research (experiment station). Meeting programming is co-organized by Hatch Multi-State project, S1090: AI in Agroecosystems: Big Data and Smart Technology-Driven Sustainable Production. The planning committees, speakers and panelists will come from across domains and geographies. Outputs will include presentations, preprints, and a conference report. Outcomes include new areas of research and approaches for teaching and education, in addition to understanding and collaboration. Impacts will be made through broadening participation and growing communities and their use of AI in agriculture.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
This project willhost a conference on artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture April 15-17, 2024 in College Station, Texas. The conference will focus on AI for "Innovation and Discovery to Manage Sustainability in a New World of Environmental Stress".The overall goal of the conference is to strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration among U.S. university faculty and students,industry, and stakeholders for implementing AI technology into U.S. agriculture and naturalresources an efficient, sustainable, and socio-economically equitable manner.The primary objective is to host a conference that supports this goal.The specific sub-objectives of the conference include:1) Bring agricultural and natural resources researchers, industry, students, representatives from stakeholder groups, and funding agencies together to build collaborations and explore recent developments and opportunities in AI and automation for solving emerging challenges in agricultural production and food systems as well as natural resources.2) Identify AI-driven innovations that are still needed to meet the current and future challenges so U.S. agriculture can remain competitive and profitable while sustaining the environment under achanging climate. Also identifying barriers to implementing these potential innovations.3) Increase knowledge of current agriculture-focused teaching in AI-related initiatives across U.S. universities and strengthen teaching curricula.4) Increase knowledge and skills among graduate students and faculty of the emerging AI techniques available for research and extension.5) Develop transdisciplinary teams for AI projects addressing needs and opportunities in agriculture.6) Develop action plans to overcome existing barriers to developing AI-driven solutions andadopting AI technology in U.S. farm and ranch management systems.7) Identify skills, among farmers, consultants, and extension agents, necessary to manage the farm of the future.8) Strength collaboration among U.S. universities, industry, and stakeholder groups to develop the next generation of AI-driven technologies that will support U.S. agriculture.9) Assemble resources and information relevant to funding agencies, university administrators, members of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAEM), and industry on needs to address current and future challenges of U.S. agriculture. This includes personnel and facilities infrastructure needed to advance innovation.10) Provide a forum where researchers, teachers, extension experts and industry can publicize their work and findings in AI relevant to agriculture and natural resources.
Project Methods
The major effort will be to host the conference, including soliciting abstracts and presenters, organizing location and logistics. The evaluation will include the number and satisfaction of attendees, the number and quality of presentations, as well as the breadth of attendees and what they felt they gained from the conference.