Not Replacement, but Reinvention: The Transformation of Agricultural Professions in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence and automation continue transforming global industries, agriculture is undergoing one of the most complex and often misunderstood transitions. While headlines frequently ask whether AI will replace human workers, the real story in agtech is not about replacement, but redefinition.

Let’s discuss how innovation transforms human roles in agriculture, why traditional education has become more rare, and what kind of expertise the future of agtech truly requires.

Multidisciplinary talent

Based on my encounters, the number of agricultural specialists with specialized agricultural education is significantly lower than that of experts working in finance, law, or other sectors.

However, professionals from related fields are increasingly joining the industry. Many enter agriculture not with a background in agronomy, but, for example, from programming, biology, chemistry, physics, or other adjacent disciplines. Programmers often work in farming companies, gradually deepening their understanding of agriculture. Chemists are involved in soil quality control and analyzing the effects of various substances on the environment and plants.

Agriculture as an industry is likely undergoing transformation and becoming much more specialized. In the past, up until the mid-20th century, an agronomist was a kind of generalist or “multitool,” who assessed the condition of a field intuitively: smelling the air, tasting the soil, studying the appearance of plants, and making predictions. Today, much of that is done by technology.

Now, irrigation systems are equipped with sensors that monitor the quality and flow of water, while drones collect data on soil conditions. Analysts, meteorologists, and mathematical models create a detailed picture of the climate and growing conditions. The agronomist receives vast amounts of precise data, collected by experts from other fields, and no longer needs to carry out all these measurements personally.

The main task of an agronomist today is to have a deep understanding of a specific plant’s biology and make decisions based on the data provided by monitoring systems, when to plant, and how to respond to changes. In addition, they handle practical matters: purchasing fertilizers, organizing labor, and managing resources. In a way, the agronomist becomes the operator of a high-tech system rather than the all-knowing expert they once were.

For instance, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 8% growth in employment for agricultural and food scientists from 2023 to 2033, a rate faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to generate about 3,100 job openings in the US annually.

As we see, the shortage of qualified and educated personnel in the traditional sense is more about the changing nature of the profession and the emergence of new specializations than a genuine lack of people. Agriculture is becoming more technology-driven, opening new opportunities for professionals from various fields.

Breaking through conservative soil

Through the Keymakr projects and within our peer ecosystem, I speak with many innovative startups. One common challenge they mention is that it’s difficult to introduce new solutions in the agricultural sector, as many experienced farmers tend to be cautious about adopting unfamiliar technologies.

Here are a few insights from the McKinsey report that relate to the reasons behind this process:

• Farmers in Europe and North America lead the world in agtech adoption, with about 61% currently using or planning to adopt one agtech product in the next two years.
• North American farmers cite high costs and unclear return on investment as their biggest challenges in adopting farm management systems.
• Farmers in Europe, while most concerned about high costs, report difficulties in setup and use as an additional significant barrier to adoption.
• Farmers in South America are most concerned about trust in the purchasing process through online platforms.
• Agtech adoption is lowest in Asia, with only about 9% of farmers using or planning to use at least one agtech product.

An interesting Eurostat survey says that the majority (57.6 %) of farm managers are at least 55 years old. Only 11.9 % are young farmers, defined here as those under the age of 40. These top-heavy age structures underline the interest in farm succession and the need to encourage a new generation of farmers. But farmers’ children rarely stay in farming themselves. They use the family’s financial resources to pursue other careers.

Does this slow down and will it continue to slow down progress in agriculture? I’d say it depends on the timeframe we’re talking about. Eventually, the older generation of farmers will retire and make way for the younger ones. And most young people tend to use technology at a higher rate to stay competitive on the market.

From lab to field

When discussing the agricultural workforce, we can focus on two main groups: producers of agricultural goods and developers of technological solutions.

Most innovations originate not from farming holdings but from external companies or startups, often founded by individuals with prior experience in the agri-sector. These professionals identify challenges within agriculture and create solutions to address them, leading to a dynamic interaction where market needs drive technology development, and new technologies, in turn, shape the industry’s direction.

Academic institutions play a vital role in this ecosystem, often responsible for inventing core technologies. These innovations then move through commercialization, where private businesses acquire patents or hire researchers to bring them to market. Each stage has distinct motivations: academics seek knowledge and discovery, while entrepreneurs pursue market opportunities.

And at the intersection of these markets, new professions are created. Roles such as agri-data analysts, AI crop advisors, and drone technicians are experiencing rapid growth. For instance, the global agricultural drone market was valued at $2.74 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $10.45 billion by 2030. This surge is driven by the increasing adoption of precision farming technologies, including AI-powered drones, which enhance crop monitoring and resource optimization.

The demand for digitally skilled agricultural workers is also rising. According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the drone industry could contribute over $82 billion to the U.S. economy by 2025, creating around 100,000 new jobs. This growth is expected due to the increasing adoption of drones across various sectors, including agriculture, public safety, and commercial applications.

Despite challenges and a conservative mindset among some players, the industry is adapting and transforming, fueled by these multidisciplinary professionals working at the intersection of biology, engineering, and AI.