According to the McKinsey Global Farmer Insights 2026, 17% of farmers worldwide are currently utilizing generative AI for agricultural tasks, marking it as one of the fastest-growing technologies in the farming sector.
In contrast, other technologies such as robotics, electric farming equipment, and sustainable development software remain significantly underutilized within farms.
North and South America are leading the charge in AI adoption, where it is being employed to assist with daily decision-making.
Source: McKinsey Global Farmer Insights 2026.This surge in interest comes amid a prolonged downturn in the agricultural industry.
Costs associated with labor, land, machinery, and fertilizers have remained high and volatile since the last profitability peak in 2021-2022, as noted by McKinsey senior partner David Fiocco.
In response, farmers are significantly cutting budgets for traditional chemical fertilizers, with more than half of specialty crop producers now shifting to biological alternatives for plant protection and growth stimulation.
John Deere's AI Agronomist
On September 1, 2026, at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, agricultural technology giant John Deere unveiled JD, a generative AI chatbot integrated directly into its Operations Center platform.
This assistant provides real-time responses to farmers' inquiries by leveraging specific farm data, including field, machinery, and operational information.
The system enables comparisons of fuel usage for soil processing over several years, analyzes the impact of equipment settings on crop yields, monitors the performance of sprayer operators, and determines optimal harvesting times.
Source: John Deere.Limited early access has been granted to select American clients starting September 1, with broader availability for the AI assistant expected at the end of 2026, and integration into onboard displays planned for a later date.
Looking ahead, John Deere intends to adapt the neural network for use in lawn care, construction, road work, and forestry. The specific language model underpinning the system has not been disclosed by the company.
It is worth noting that in September, it was reported that the demand for freelancers specializing in refining content generated by neural networks—such as text, images, and videos—continues to grow.