Project Overview
Information Products
Commodities
Practices
- Animal Production: artificial intelligence
- Crop Production: artificial intelligence
- Education and Training: technical assistance
- Farm Business Management: artificial intelligence
- Natural Resources/Environment: artificial intelligence
- Pest Management: intelligence
Abstract:
The goal of this project was to equip agricultural professionals (i.e., ag-educators, extension professionals, crop consultants) with an understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential role in sustainable agriculture. Specifically, the project aimed to equip users with the knowledge and skills to strategically communicate about this emerging technology and help users adopt AI tools to support sustainable agriculture goals.
To accommodate geographical and time zone differences, we developed an online asynchronous instructional-video course for participants, including a certificate of completion. Toolbox development was informed by our existing assessment of needs and a series of anonymous semi-structured interviews with ag professionals to determine preexisting knowledge and informational wants. Feedback provided during these interviews helped ensure asynchronous training materials were tailored to agricultural professionals. Subsequently, a toolbox of 10 asynchronous online professional development videos and self-guided activities were developed. These resources focused on AI’s presence, broader impacts on society and agriculture, specific impacts on sustainable agriculture, and best practices for sharing this information with others. Participants had the opportunity to: 1) achieve a deeper awareness of AI in both society and sustainable agriculture; 2) develop knowledge of behavioral models predicting technology adoption; 3) obtain skills in utilizing strategic science communication theory to construct, frame, and diffuse messages surrounding AI; and 4) improve their confidence and abilities to facilitate engagement with AI in sustainable agriculture. Evaluations were conducted in the final year of the project to improve the course for future participants. We measured pre- and post-improvements in AI literacy, communication efficacy, emotion and willingness to communicate publicly about AI among participants. In addition, evidence suggests that participants who completed the course perceived AI’s impacts as being closer in time and more socially relevant to themselves as a result.
Project objectives:
- Enhance understanding of agricultural AI and its connection to sustainability, implications, technology adoption, and strategic science communication among ag-tech professionals.
- Facilitate the development of interpersonal, mass (i.e. workshops or group presentations) and computer-mediated communication skills among agricultural professionals.
- Improve participants’ confidence and perceived effectiveness in communicating AI-within-sustainable-ag to a range of public audiences.
- Improve understanding of how technology and communication skills training can impact ag-tech professionals’ thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. This information can contribute to existing science communication literature and inform both the science communication community and the agricultural professional community.