What If Ag Tech Brings People In?
When we talk about robots, automation and artificial intelligence in agriculture, a lot of the conversation centers on what happens to the people. Does technology eventually replace them?
But new research out of UC Merced adds an interesting wrinkle to that conversation. What if technology is actually getting people more excited about working in agriculture?
Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 people in California’s Central Valley. About 16.5 percent expressed interest in agricultural technology training, more than three times the interest in general agriculture programs.
Now, that doesn’t tell us exactly why. But at a time when agriculture is still figuring out what this technology revolution means for its workforce, that difference is worth noticing.
There’s another nuance, though. Being interested in training doesn’t mean you can access it.
Researchers identified childcare, internet access and work schedules as barriers.
So maybe the human side of ag technology isn’t simply about jobs disappearing. At least according to this survey, technology could also be part of what gets a new generation of workers interested in agriculture in the first place.
For more, read: https://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/technology-revolution-agriculture-needs-investment-humans-well-machines
