In the era of increasing automation of animal production, there is an increasing concern about the possible takeover of care of this production by robotic systems managed by artificial intelligence. Should zootechnicians be concerned about the future of their profession? The answer to this question was provided by Dr. Eng. Agnieszka Antczak from the Department of Analysis and Development of PFHBiPM during this year's Winter School of Cattle Breeders.
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AI may replace zootechnicians in the traditional sense of this profession
– I think that in the traditional understanding of this profession, artificial intelligence (AI) may replace zootechnicians in the future. It is only a matter of time and profitability of implementing the technology, said Dr. Antczak.
As our interlocutor explained, zootechnicians currently deal with, among others: controlling individual animals and groups, managing them, collecting and analyzing data, managing automatic systems and managing resources, including human ones, and artificial intelligence is even created for such tasks.
The profession of zootechnics will survive, although in a slightly different shape
However, our interlocutor is convinced that the profession of zootechnics will survive, although in a slightly different shape.
– In the future, a zootechnician will be a specialist in AI control and setting parameters and procedures dedicated to specific farms. It will be a person educated in such a way that he can enter into a dialogue with artificial intelligence, use it for effective work and control its activities, said Dr. Antczak.
As she emphasized, whether a zootechnician will find his way in such a reality will depend primarily on the process of his education, so agricultural universities will play a key role here.
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A chance for beneficial cooperation
Our interlocutor sees the use of artificial intelligence in animal production as an opportunity for beneficial cooperation rather than a risk of displacing humans.
– Putting AI to work in the barn would relieve the zootechnician of activities that could be automated. In my opinion, this may be an interesting cooperation in which the zootechnician will have the final say, and AI will simply help him, said Dr. Antczak.
As long as the subject of production is an animal, a human is needed
She also emphasized that this does not mean that an analyst with no knowledge of animal production will be able to be a zootechnician. If this were the case, artificial intelligence could take over almost 100%. activities of zootechnicians.
– In my opinion, as long as the subject of production, breeding or breeding is an animal, we need a person who has empathy, common sense and the ability to react in unforeseen situations – said our interlocutor.
– Artificial intelligence of empathy will most likely never learn empathy, and in the case of crisis situations, it must practice a given scenario several times to compile a procedure for dealing with such a situation. This requires huge amounts of data on situations that do not occur very often, so humans will be irreplaceable for a very long time – explained Dr. Antczak.
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Insemination works are only a matter of time. However, profitability remains the key issue
Our interlocutor noted that investment costs and profitability of implementing individual solutions will also be a key issue.
– Technology will continue to develop. I think it's a matter of time and money, for example, insemination robots. Precise manipulators are now available, which could inseminate cows in the future in a properly constructed insemination box. However, profitability remains the key issue. It may turn out that human services will be cheaper for a long time than robotization and interconnection of systems managed by artificial intelligence – concluded Dr. Antczak.
