Conference: AI-Engage

This award supports a participation of U.S. researchers in a multilateral conference organized by researchers in the U.S., Australia, India, and Japan (Quad) on the theme of Advancing Innovation to Empower Next Generation AGriculturE (AI-ENGAGE). The workshop aims to help scope the AI-ENGAGE theme with a focus on opportunities for joint research in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, sensing and/or communications with applications to agriculture, particularly applications that can positively impact resilience and yields. The workshop will also build a community of researchers from Quad countries collaborating at the intersection of emerging technologies and agriculture. As the global population is projected to swell to 9.7 billion by 2050, the challenges of ensuring adequate food production and sustainability of land and water resources are becoming increasingly complex and pressing. This burgeoning demographic trend poses a substantial strain on our agricultural systems, requiring a paradigm shift in how we approach food production and resource management. Historical precedents underscore the effectiveness of innovative, science-driven solutions in empowering farmers and transforming food production systems. However, the contemporary landscape presents challenges exacerbated by climate change, escalating pest pressures, and supply chain dynamics. These challenges are not confined within national borders but are deeply interconnected across regions, necessitating a collaborative, multi-national approach. The workshop is expected to consider topics such as artificial intelligence, automation, risk forecasting and management, robotics, sensing and/or and communications with applications to agriculture. By forming research networks that span Quad countries, teams can prototype and test approaches across geographies, share data, and leverage each other’s technical expertise for the common good. The workshop is an opportunity to catalyze those Quad research networks. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.