INNOVATION: COLDIRETTI, DOUBLE INVESTMENTS TO 6 BILLION BY 2030 Artificial intelligence is useful, but it must not replace man
To support innovation in agriculture to combat climate change and ensure food production, investments must be doubled to 6 billion by 2030.
This is the message launched by the International Forum on Agriculture and Food at Villa Miani in Rome (#forumagricoltura2024) organised by Coldiretti in collaboration with The European House – Ambrosetti, with a panel dedicated to the theme ofIA, in the presence of some of the leading national experts such as Pierluigi Contucci, professor of Physics-Mathematics, University & Academy of Science of Bologna, Paolo Benanti, president of the Commission onArtificial intelligence and the Information of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, as well as advisor to Pope Francis on the issues ofartificial intelligence and the ethics of technology, and Luciano Floridi, founding director of the Digital Ethics Center at Yale University, USA. Agriculture represents a privileged sector for the application of digital solutions artificial intelligence to food production. According to a Coldiretti analysis, by 2030 one in five Italian farms will adopt management tools directly based onIA, which will become increasingly central in the development of agriculture 5.0. A positive and important use of theartificial intelligence which this time satisfies the vast majority of citizens. According to Censis data, over 89% of Italians consider the implementation of public investments to be a priority, with particular attention to those to finance new technologies, includingIA precisely, specifically aimed at strengthening Italian agriculture, considered a vital sector.
Coldiretti on Smart Agrifood data
The importance of innovation in agriculture is also confirmed by Coldiretti's analysis of Smart Agrifood data, which highlights a 19% growth in the sector's turnover in just one year, with over 2,5 billion euros of investments. Currently, agricultural areas that use advanced tools cover over 1 million hectares, equal to 9% of the total. New technologies allow for the optimization of the use of resources, such as water, thanks to weather stations connected to satellites, and to improve the efficiency of operations thanks to the use of precision farming equipment. Another important step towards more sustainable agriculture is represented – continues Coldiretti – by TEA (Assisted Evolution Technologies), which allow for the selection of plant varieties that are more resilient to climate change and have a lower environmental impact.
Artificial intelligence
THEartificial intelligence represents an opportunity for growth for the country's economy provided that we do not lose sight of the limits and ethical costs of a tool that in no case should replace the centrality of man, sacrificing it on the altar of technological suprematism,
Despite the exaltation of the possibilities offered by this new technology, the majority of citizens (88%) according to Censis believe that broad, in-depth, certified communication on the expected benefits and costs of the technology is necessary.IA that makes people aware and able to express a motivated point of view. It is no coincidence that on the risk of a possible emancipation of theartificial intelligence from human control, that is, the invasion of robots guided by theIA capable of taking control of reality, Italians are divided since 38% consider them a real danger to be avoided, 40% a pure invention of the imagination and 21% have no precise ideas on the subject.
Accompany the development and massive use of theIA with the application of a non-invasive regulation, but capable of guaranteeing people's rights is at this stage absolutely a priority and in line with the prevailing sentiment among Italians.
Innovation must also respond to the particular needs of our territories: for this reason Coldiretti has proposed to authorize drones for the efficient use of plant protection products, especially in mountain or heroic agriculture.
