With Artificial Intelligence (AI) making rounds in global news for its numerous applications, such as the now infamous Chat GPT, AI is expected  to make an appearance in the more tech-oriented sector of agriculture: vertical farming.

According to Pavel Razbegaev, business development manager at the Israeli tech firm Grow Director, AI is set to “transform the indoor vertical farming industry”.

In an editorial for iGrow News, the executive explained that the technology is becoming a tool to advance sustainability and efficiency in the sector.

The main objective for AI in agriculture is to allow farmers to automate critical tasks such as watering, lighting, and temperature control. This allows them to free time and resources while focusing on other vital aspects of their business and cultivation operations.

Since 2016, Grow Director has worked with growers, agricultural suppliers, equipment merchants and distributors in North America, Europe and Israel to understand specific pain points and needs of the industry.

The result is GrowDirector 3 PRO, an AI-powered platform to help farmers replicate growth conditions, identify and address potential issues, and maximize yield and profitability.

The GrowDirector software allows users to control an array of the company’s hardware solutions, which include dosing pump and dry dosing automation for hydroponic crops.

This allows for up to a 53% reduction in labor costs, as well as 48% decrease in human errors.

Additionally, Grow Director’s system promises a 31% increase in yields.

Razbegaev also says that using AI-driven optimization algorithms could “revolutionize crop breeding”, enabling the creation of new plant varieties ideally suited for indoor farming conditions.