CHICAGO (RFD-TV) — As technology use accelerates across the agriculture industry, many are questioning what it means for the future of the labor market. Despite rapid growth in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption this year, new research from CoBank shows that college graduates continue to see stable employment and wage premiums.
From farmers to FFA students to communications professionals, it appears those who embrace technology — not fear it — will remain at the center of agriculture’s future.
A recent report by CoBank finds that despite the rapid adoption of AI technology in agriculture, the demand for college-educated workers remains steady, and employment and wage premiums for graduates have held firm.
Rob Fox, Director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, joined RFD-TV’s Market Day Report on Tuesday to discuss their findings and address concerns that AI could reduce job opportunities for recent graduates, explaining that the data so far does not indicate a decline in employment outcomes or earning power.
In his interview with RFD-TV News, Fox explained that concerns about AI stealing job opportunities for recent graduates appear unwarranted, as the data show continued positive outcomes for degree-holders. He noted that tuition costs continue to rise, yet college graduates are still seeing a wage advantage in this AI era.
Switching gears to the broader economy, Fox outlined the mixed signals emerging from the report — pointing to positive signs alongside caution flags driven by tariffs, immigration declines, and heavy AI investment. He offered a forward-looking view on how these trends might influence future interest rate cuts.
FFA Students Using AI to Innovate in Agriculture
From classrooms to career paths, the next generation is also embracing AI. One standout example is Jordan Jones of the North Scott FFA Chapter in Iowa, who is using artificial intelligence to assess stress in agriculture-related careers.
His project is part of a growing wave of FFA-led innovation, where students are combining technology and agriculture to build new solutions for on-farm and industry challenges.
Potatoes USA Fights Misinformation on Social Media with AI
AI isn’t just reshaping production — it’s also changing how the agriculture industry communicates. After years of battling misinformation online, Potatoes USA is using artificial intelligence to monitor and respond to false claims about the industry.
According to Blair Richardson, President and CEO of Potatoes USA, creating innovative technology and upkeep are two separate costs. Still, in the long run, they will be well worth the upfront expenses.
“The initial investment is about half a million dollars,” Richardson said. “You know, once it’s created, there’s an ongoing operational cost to collect the data and pay for the computational power that is used to run the system. I mean, that is around $75,000 to $100,000 a year.”
She hopes the operational costs for AI will be cheaper in the long run than retaining a human communications specialist to do the same job.
“As time goes on, you know, that’s less than the cost of a communications specialist in today’s world. And I think that it will be an exponential return on investment that we keep generating over many years.”
Only time will tell if students who embrace the technology can overcome technological advances made by AI to have a long, fruitful career.
