Soil and Plant Scientists

However, many jobs still need human scientists. No AI can yet replace a person designing new crop experiments or inventing a new soil treatment. In other words, today AI augments (helps) scientists by handling data and scans, but people still make the key decisions.

Human skills like creativity, judgement, and understanding of local climate remain crucial to interpret AI’s results and adapt solutions to each farm ^{[1] [2]}.

Other barriers are social and technical. Many farms lack fast internet or training, making it hard to use AI tools ^[2]. Trust is also key.

Studies find that farmers accept AI more when they trust the scientists behind it ^[6], and some worry about data privacy or job loss ^[6]. In the end, experts expect AI to grow as a helpful partner for soil scientists rather than a replacement. Machines can do precise scans and number-crunching, but people will still plan experiments and understand nature.

For students worried about AI, the outlook is hopeful: tech will change the job, but creative problem-solving and real-world know-how will always be valuable in farming science.