​Agriculture vs. Artificial Intelligence

Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
 
It’s human nature to be weary of the unknown. Any time there is new buzzword in the media, the world seems to split on either side. The buzzword(s) this round: ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence. I’ll be honest, I’m on the more skeptical side. As for most livestock farmers, the only A.I. we typically deal with often results in a beautiful new baby calf.
​
We’ve become a world of “work smarter, not harder.” That mindset has come about mainly out of necessity because the need for labor and lack of laborers is a recurrent problem. Farm labor used to be as simple as hiring the local high school kid to milk cows, stack square bales, or tend to the livestock, but not anymore. As a replacement for lack of able bodies, many farmers have turned to utilizing innovative technology. Milking robots, automatic feeders, robotic alley scrapers, and feed pushers are all examples of technology that can be programmed to make farmers’ lives easier (in theory). What if those “robots” developed their own way of thinking and responding to situations. That sounds like the making for a pretty intense sci-fi movie…one that we might not be too far from. With automation and a faced paced world, artificial intelligence (I’ll use Chat GPT as an example) is making a huge impact, but at what cost?

---

Since we are in the business of “Keeping Clean Water Clean” here at the BCCD, I’ll focus on the impacts AI Data Centers have on water. Pro-AI spokespeople argue that dairy and beef farming use exponentially more water than cooling stations at AI Data Centers. The estimated amount of water consumed and utilized by a dairy cow can be anywhere from 40-50 gallons of water per day, though Michigan State University Extension performed a study resulting in evidence that over a two year study on a dairy farm “…the average drinking water per cow (both milking and dry cows) was 23.6 gallons and the average waste water (water used for cleaning) was 6.3 gallons/day for an average total water use of 29.9 gallons per day.” The majority of water that comes from agricultural operations is often incorporated back into the water cycle.  If mixed with manure and land applied, it is utilized by a growing crop, providing nutrients for the soil, or evaporated. Of course, farm water conservation is still a huge focus for environmentalists and farmers alike. Reducing the amount of water used for cleaning and plate coolers for dairy operations and improving outside water controls (roof gutters, diversions, etc.) to keep clean water clean are essential to reducing their impact.

Did you know that each 100-word question asked in Chat GPT uses roughly one bottle of water? (University of California, Riverside) Fresh water is used to cool the data centers essential for artificial intelligence modules. Even doing research of this article, I had to find a way to turn off the AI-Google search assistance. AI was designed to make our lives easier by streamlining information and providing access to information at rapid speed. However, using mass amounts of freshwater, then rendering what doesn’t naturally evaporate as unusable. Environmental and Energy Study Institute provided estimates in a June 25, 2025, article Stating that “A medium-sized data center can consume up to roughly 100 million gallons of water per year for cooling purposes, equivalent to the annual water usage of approximately 1,000 households.” AI for the public is still relatively new and connecting it to other means of technology leaves a large impact with little time to alter their output.

Cows have been around since the dawn of time. The first electronic computer was invented in 1946. There’s something to be said for that. AI has helped a lot of farmers design feed programs, irrigation schedules, solve mechanical failures – as a few examples and has helped people worldwide solve problems, but when using it constantly, no one stops to think of the repercussions it’s taking on our environment, not to mention how much humans have come to rely on it. It’s worth doing your own research on and weighing the pros and cons.

Sources:
Water use on dairy farms
Faith Cullens, Michigan State University Extension - October 18, 2011
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/water_use_on_dairy_farms
 
 
Data Centers and Water Consumption
By Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo
June 25, 2025
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption

The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.