Artificial intelligence could stop millions from going hungry by 2030

Research has found that using nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture could offer a practical solution to the challenges threatening global food security. The study, carried out by researchers at the UK's University of Birmingham, investigates how'precision agriculture' would allow farmers to respond in real time to changes in crop growth using technology. 'Precision agriculture' refers to farming methods which measure and respond to variability in crops, allowing management of land with the goal of optimising efficiency and reducing waste. In this case, AI and nanotechnology could be used to help both crops and soil perform better. Climate change, increasing populations, competing demands on land for production of biofuels and declining soil quality have all made it more and more difficult to feed global citizens.