It’s an exciting time to be part of the dairy industry. I know you’ve heard that before – I have at nearly every conference I’ve attended in the last five years. The research and technology at our fingertips allows us to make strides we never thought possible. The knowledge we’ve gleaned from being able to communicate quickly has changed the way we manage our herds – from day one colostrum feeding to detecting heats to that first visit to the parlour and every moment in between.
Once a week, I learn about a new cattle technology that I know will benefit dairy producers. That’s exciting! It not only makes our day-to-day tasks easier, it makes our herds more efficient.
I’ll bet you’re doing things on your farm today that 10 years ago you wouldn’t have thought possible. I open my laptop every morning and feel a rush of excitement, wondering what new technology or story might greet me today.
Artificial intelligence is currently at the centre of the buzz of technology. What can it do for us?
My dad has a pair of Meta glasses. These are regular glasses (he actually has his prescription in them) that contain AI. Say “Hey Meta” and a prompt and you will receive answers in real time, hands-free. These glasses will take videos, photos and scan what you’re reading or seeing. There are small speakers above your ears. I took these glasses for a test drive a couple of weeks ago and was thoroughly impressed by the capability.
We were at my parents' house for Sunday dinner. I was making creamy green beans when my dad handed them to me and walked me through a few of the commands. I put them on and asked, “Hey Meta, what am I looking at?” Meta told me I was cooking green beans on the stove, described a candle and utensils on the counter next to it. I then asked Meta to play me my current favourite song and turned up the volume by swiping my finger along the side of the glasses. The sound quality was much better than my AirPods and fairly noise-cancelling; I couldn’t hear the conversation around me. I opened the fridge and asked Meta to list recipes I could make with the ingredients there. Meta told me I could make a veggie smoothie with the visible vegetables and dairy products, and also suggested an egg omelette “if eggs are hidden from my visibility.” I walked over to the counter, where my mom had left open a copy of Progressive Dairy. I decided to really test these things out.
“Hey Meta, summarize this article for me.” I assumed the glasses would read the At-A-Glance on the page and regurgitate the information to me. I was surprised when the voice assistant (in the style of John Cena) gave a comprehensive summary of the article highlighting the Dueck family of Manitoba. Meta told me several of the highlights of the feature story, including the type of cows milked, production numbers and additional business ventures at Four Oak Farms. I felt very much like a little kid with a new toy again – my mouth hung open in awe and I turned to my dad and said, “This is incredible!”
I might be a little old school or perhaps ignorant, but I’ve been pretty skeptical of AI. Maybe it’s because in some ways it threatens my credibility as a writer. (Just a reminder that everything you read in this magazine is from human source, not an advanced search engine.) Maybe it’s because I have strong opinions about data centres eating up farmland. Maybe I am annoyed that my little brothers can operate this technology better than me and it’s showing me my age. Whatever the case, I must admit – this technology is incredible and it’s here to stay.
How have you been impressed by technology lately?
