As extreme weather events become more pronounced in the current era, the Smart Agriculture is drawing increased attention. (Photo courtesy of the Smart Farm Research and Development Program)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Senior South Korean officials on Monday pledged to speed the adoption of artificial intelligence across the agriculture and food sectors, positioning so-called “physical A.I.” as a key response to rural labor shortages and an aging farming population.
Bae Kyung-hoon, the deputy prime minister and minister of science and information and communication technology, and Song Mi-ryung, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, visited a smart-farm research site in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where they met with industry leaders to discuss strategies for expanding A.I.-driven technologies in farming and food production.
The meeting took place at the Green Tech Innovation Center, an agricultural automation research facility that opened in July at Yonam College. Executives from companies at the forefront of A.I. transformation in smart farming, biotechnology and the pet-care industry attended the session.
Participants shared examples of rapidly expanding applications, including autonomous farming equipment, A.I.-based crop growth and environmental control systems, livestock data analytics and automation, pet behavior and health monitoring, and quality management in food manufacturing processes.
Officials and industry representatives agreed that developing “agricultural physical A.I.” — technologies that combine robotics and artificial intelligence for use in real-world farm environments — is essential to sustaining agricultural productivity. They also cited persistent challenges, such as data standardization, a lack of real-world testing environments, regulatory hurdles and high upfront investment costs.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said they would jointly pursue the development and field testing of agricultural physical A.I. and roll out new support programs to promote digital transformation across rural areas.
The defining feature of smart farms lies in their use of information technology to optimize labor, energy and other inputs required for agriculture, thereby maximizing productivity. (Image courtesy of South Jeolla Province)
“Agricultural physical A.I. is an area where Korea, with strengths in both artificial intelligence and manufacturing, can compete and lead globally,” Mr. Bae said, adding that the government would work closely with industry to foster related technologies and businesses.
Ms. Song noted that agriculture generates rich, integrated data — from soil and weather to crop growth, disease control and distribution — and said wider use of A.I. would deliver tangible benefits that citizens could readily feel.
The initiative reflects the Democratic Party–led government’s broader push to apply advanced technologies to traditional industries as part of its growth and productivity agenda for 2025 and beyond.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
