AI, robots and the high-tech farm of the future

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post from Eric Jensen, head of IoT Product Management at Canonical. In farming, AI is usually short for "artificial insemination." But another kind of AI -- artificial intelligence -- is showing great promise in solving some of agriculture's most significant challenges, from the need to increase productivity and profits to overcoming labor shortages to protecting the environment. Of all the industries AI is transforming, it's safe to say none will have a greater human impact than farming. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the global population is expected to rise from 7 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050, requiring a 60% increase in food production.