Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues, including U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), in introducing the Fostering Agricultural Research and Modernization through Artificial Intelligence (FARM AI) Act today. The bill would increase capital for AI projects through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants and ensure USDA programs are deployed to educate farmers on the latest AI technologies to advance American production. By investing in agricultural workforce development, this bipartisan legislation will expand access to AI in farming, enabling America’s producers to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.
“AI technologies are advancing at a rapid pace, and if we fail to address the barriers of access to AI deployment in agriculture, America’s producers will fall behind. Precision technologies have the potential to enhance innovation and productivity in farming and ranching, but outdated USDA programs are holding this potential back from reaching our rural communities. I am proud to be leading the bipartisan FARM AI Act to unlock the untapped potential of AI technology to advance American agriculture,” said Senator Budd.
“We must ensure that America’s farmers and ranchers are not left behind in utilizing AI innovations and cutting edge technologies to keep our food systems and rural economies strong. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the FARM AI Act, because American agriculture must have access to AI advances to stay competitive in our increasingly global economy,” said Senator Schiff.
“Nevada’s farmers and ranchers work hard every day to help American families put food on the table. New artificial intelligence technology could help the agriculture industry cut costs, boost productivity, and expand U.S. competitiveness. That’s why I’m proud to support bipartisan legislation to responsibly invest in this technology to help farmers and ranchers across the country,” said Senator Cortez Masto.
“Artificial intelligence has real potential to transform agriculture operations, particularly with regard to precision technologies and data management. Our legislation would support the use of AI in agriculture by giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture more authority to prioritize AI in their research and extension programs,” said Senator Rounds.
“Emerging technologies, like Artificial Intelligence, offer an opportunity to advance innovation across all industries, but not without access to proper resources and training. The FARM AI Act will increase investments in the agricultural industry’s use of AI and ensure rural communities are empowered to successfully harness its promise,” said Senator Blunt Rochester.
The FARM AI Act is supported by North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Life Sciences Organization (NCLifeSci).
“The FARM AI Act provides a crucial framework to accelerate innovation and workforce development across the agricultural sector. By increasing capital for artificial intelligence (AI) projects through USDA grants and ensuring that USDA programs are precisely tailored to include AI development, this legislation will directly empower researchers to develop and deploy cutting-edge solutions. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at North Carolina State University deeply appreciates Sen. Budd’s leadership in recognizing the transformative potential of AI in agriculture and his commitment to empowering land-grant universities to lead this vital frontier,” said Garey Fox, Ph.D., P.E., Dean, North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“NCLifeSci applauds Senator Budd’s introduction of the FARM AI Act. North Carolina leads the nation in both agriculture and agricultural technology, making this legislation especially relevant to our state. The bill addresses two critical gaps facing farmers: a lack of capital to adopt AI tools and a shortage of trained workers in rural communities to implement them. By directing USDA resources toward AI research, workforce development and Extension outreach, the act strengthens the U.S. food supply chain and positions American farmers to compete internationally,” said Laura Gunter, President, NCLifeSci.
Read the full bill text HERE.
BACKGROUND
Farm AI Act:
- Adds AI Development as a Priority Research Area Under the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI): Modifying the AFRI will enable more research into AI and workforce development to develop and deploy AI technologies on farms.
- Emphasizes AI as an Explicit Focus for Research Under USDA’s Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA): Amending the focus of the AgARDA will further expand AI research for more complex projects.
- Ensures Extension Teaches Farmers How to Harness the Benefits of AI: Ensuring USDA Extension provides outreach and education to farmers on the adoption and responsible use of AI systems will rapidly increase the productivity and security of rural communities.
- Expands Agricultural Workforce Training to Include AI and Precision Agriculture: Expanding USDA grants and fellowships for food and agricultural sciences education to fund workforce development and technical training programs in rural communities on artificial intelligence and precision agriculture will equip the next generation of agricultural workers with the skills needed to adopt and utilize modern farming technologies.
- Nominate a Senior USDA Official to Serve as the AI in Ag Advisor: Nominating a senior official under USDA’s AFRI will ensure grants and outreach programs are tailored to include AI development and implementation, along with ensuring USDA collaborates with the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish national AI standards for the agriculture sector.
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