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Emily Buckley, Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Dr. Lisa Conti, Chief Science Officer; and Marcy Cockrell, a postdoctoral fellow, spoke about potential legislation regarding AI in agriculture. Their input resulted in a list of three areas needing regulation. These areas are: insurance, security and intellectual property. Since AI is an emerging technology, there is limited legislation.
Legislation
Insurance, security, intellectual property
An insurance plan for AI technologies needs to be created in order to determine how farmers are covered. AI is also highly beneficial for insurance companies. With more data and accurate analytics, damage can be assessed virtually, eliminating the need for sending an adjuster to the farm. Insurance companies can also get a more exact reading on loss forecasting and accurately plan the designation of funds—this is beneficial for farmers.
Insurance
A main concern with using AI is ensuring its security. As with all technology, there is a possibility of breaching information. Hacking the software not only endangers the farmer but it also impacts the software and equipment companies. Another concern is the rise in trade secret theft. There have been cases reported of employees and students attempting to steal research. As with any emerging technology, it is crucial to properly safeguard sensitive information.
Security
AI collects large amounts of data, but who owns it? Is it the farmer or the manufacturer of the AI technology? Many large companies have IP departments, so small farmers are at a disadvantage. We can expect to see legislation in the future specifying these details.
Intellectual Property
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