How helpful can AI be in solving the water crisis?

AI
Irrigation
Machine learning
Author

Kunal Khurana

Published

May 9, 2023

Wasting water, especially in areas in which it is a scarce resource, is a huge headache (and expense) for farmers and food growers worldwide. This article discusses how AI can help improve water irrigation in agriculture. The article notes that agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of global freshwater usage and that water scarcity is becoming an increasingly pressing issue in many parts of the world. By using AI, farmers can optimize their irrigation practices resulting in reduced water consumption but increased crop yields. The article highlights the use of Machine learning, and in particular deep-learning, algorithms to collect and interpret data from images and identify patterns that spotlight irrigation issues. AI can also be used to create predictive models that help farmers anticipate (real-time) crop water needs to identify areas of a field that need more or less water. By using AI in agriculture, farmers can become more efficient and sustainable in their use of water, ultimately helping to address global water scarcity concerns.