Presented by N. Dennis Bowman, Extension Specialist in Digital Agriculture, and Dr. Matthew Vann, Associate Dean and Director of Illinois Extension, this session will bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical, on-farm applications.

Participants will learn how AI is currently being used to enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in commercial crop production. The webinar will demystify core concepts like Machine Learning and Large Language Models (LLMs) while showcasing real-world tools such as the CropWizard decision-support system and autonomous “Agbots” used for cover crop planting and weed management. Furthermore, the presenters will share best practices for interacting with AI (prompt engineering), discuss the limitations of current technologies (such as AI “hallucinations”), and provide a glimpse into the future of digital twins and predictive analytics through initiatives like AIFARMS and AIIRA.