Nearly Half of American Farmers Use AI, but Trust in it is Lagging

Artificial intelligence is becoming another tool in the farm office, but producers remain cautious about letting it make decisions that affect their operations.

A new survey from agricultural marketing firm MorganMyers , conducted in partnership with research company Ag Access, found that 48 percent of farmers and ranchers use general AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot at least weekly to support their businesses. While adoption is growing, confidence in AI-generated recommendations still lags behind.

The report, based on responses from 166 farmers and ranchers and 35 agricultural retailers, suggests AI is finding its place as a productivity tool rather than a decision-maker.

"Farmers and ranchers aren't resistant to AI," Greg Ehm, senior vice president of agriculture at MorganMyers, said in a news release. "Our survey confirms they're trying it out and can already see areas where it delivers value and could help them become even better operators in the future.

"At the same time, they're weighing AI-generated recommendations against years of personal experience and practical knowledge. Farm decisions will continue to draw on data and human judgment."

AI is becoming part of everyday farm work

Rather than relying on AI for complex production decisions, most respondents said they are using it to streamline routine business tasks.

According to the survey, 49 percent use AI for personal research and drafting, while 40 percent use it for crop planning or planting decisions. Another 35 percent turn to AI for livestock nutrition or health insights, and 32 percent use it for business management.

The report also found that AI is already delivering benefits for many users. Eighty-four percent of surveyed farmers and ranchers said AI has provided at least some value to their operation, with 38 percent reporting it has saved them time and another 38 percent saying it has increased confidence in their decisions.

General-purpose AI platforms continue to outpace AI features built into agricultural software. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they use AI-enabled features within existing ag platforms weekly or more, compared with 48 percent who regularly use standalone AI tools. Researchers suggested the difference could stem from awareness, availability, workflow fit, or pricing, though they said more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Despite growing use, only 24 percent of respondents said they fully or somewhat trust AI-generated recommendations for operational decisions. Forty-five percent said they are uncomfortable allowing AI to influence real decisions on their farms, while 28 percent remained undecided.

The biggest concern wasn't whether AI exists, but whether its recommendations are accurate.

Seventy-two percent of respondents cited recommendation accuracy as their top concern. Other leading issues included data privacy and ownership (57 percent), potential bias or brand influence in recommendations (51 percent), and concerns that AI could replace human experience (37 percent).

When asked what would increase confidence, producers overwhelmingly pointed to practical proof instead of marketing. Sixty-two percent said real-world farm results would improve trust, followed by the ability to override AI recommendations (30 percent), transparent data sources (27 percent), recommendations backed by agronomists or veterinarians (25 percent), and peer validation (19 percent). Brand reputation ranked last at just 10 percent.

Adoption varies across agriculture

The survey found AI adoption differs considerably depending on age, commodity, and operation size.

Dairy producers were among the most active users, with 64 percent regularly using AI tools. Farmers younger than 35 reported similar adoption rates, while larger operations showed the highest use of AI integrated into existing farm platforms.

Conversely, 58 percent of producers age 51 and older were classified as nonusers, 61 percent of smaller operations reported little or no AI use, and 55 percent of row-crop producers fell into the low- or nonuse category.

Researchers suggested those differences reflect both the continuous management demands of livestock operations and the greater familiarity many younger producers have with digital technologies.

The report also examined agricultural retailers, who have traditionally played a major role in helping producers evaluate new technologies.

Researchers found retailers trail farmers in both AI adoption and confidence. Sixty-three percent described AI as "promising but unproven," and many said they are reluctant to recommend AI-powered tools until they have stronger evidence of real-world performance.

According to the report, that caution could slow broader adoption because producers often rely on trusted advisers when evaluating new technologies.

While skepticism remains, most producers expect AI use to continue expanding. The survey found 69 percent of farmers and ranchers anticipate increasing their use of AI over the next year or two, particularly for practical business functions such as marketing decisions, recordkeeping, product comparisons, and improving recommendation accuracy.

Ehm said the future of agricultural AI will depend less on flashy features and more on proving its value in the field.

"Companies and organizations hoping to build trust and confidence in AI tools for agriculture must show results, explain how recommendations were developed and prove return on investment on real farms."

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