As the dairy industry dips its toes into artificial intelligence (AI), it is clear that there is still a world of unknown possibilities that lie before us. “For those who love cows and data, this is the golden age,” said Jeff Bewley of Holstein Association USA, who spoke at the recent Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference in Boise, Idaho. The dairy industry has barely even scratched the surface of what AI can bring to the table, and the future is bound to be bright and exciting!

The topic of AI in agriculture has been a beaten drum over the last few years, and to some, it has left a bad taste in their mouth. But for many, dialing in on the new opportunities and data that AI can provide will ultimately help us make our dairy operations more successful and profitable. For instance, wearable technology, such as activity monitoring collars, are now considered commonplace on many dairies. The question is, how can we get more data out of this wearable technology? The answer is AI. Questions about fertility and reproduction may be answered through the use of AI without having to go through the work of drawing blood samples. While potentially daunting, this is just the beginning.

AI can be used on all facets of the farm, from installing precision soakers to manage heat stress, using machine vision technology to identify locomotion scores to make culling decisions, or implementing image analysis to identify dry matter intake. This opens a whole new world of trackable data that will allow farmers to make better decisions for their operations.

While new data can be helpful, Bewley recommended using AI to look at old data in new ways. Take a deeper look into lactation curves, mastitis incidents, reproduction, ration response, and lifespan data from the past. Seeing this data in a new light may provide answers to identify areas of improvement. New data can track specific areas more closely, allowing the farmer to monitor areas of concern or improvement.

While AI may seem all the rage, it is important to note that it is not a silver bullet, but it is a management tool. “AI isn’t magic. Continuous improvement requires biological feedback. Just because we use AI, doesn’t mean it’s better,” Bewley said. While AI has the ability to track a lot of data, some of the data isn’t useful to farmers. Track the data that is beneficial to your operation and don’t waste time tracking areas that aren’t helping make the farm more efficient. AI can enhance profitability by optimizing operations and enhancing cow well-being. But the most important thing to remember is, “We need to make sure we never lose sight of the cow in that process,” Bewley noted.