By Julie Boudreau
Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking up more and more space in our daily lives. It arouses both fear and fascination. Many worry about its impact on job loss or imagine post-apocalyptic movie scenarios where machines take control of the planet. There is also the entire artistic field which is worried about its future in the face of these artificial generators of images, realistic photos and even sculptures which depreciate the value of creative work. Even we writers and editors can see our imminent demise.
On the other hand, we can see the great advantages of a computer system that optimizes itself. Everyone has seen images of the famous weeding robots. Imagine if it could increase its weed bank by itself, adapt it to different growth stages, or adjust its rate according to density.
In horticulture, artificial intelligence could play an important role in optimizing soil testing practices and making fertilization recommendations. Imagine an irrigation system that knows exactly when and how much water to release into the soil. Micro-watering saves water. Asking a human to manage such a system would be unimaginable! Artificial intelligence could also predict the arrival of insects and diseases with great precision. Basically, AI can optimize many gardening practices.
That said, and I’m sure you will agree, gardening is not only a question of fertilizer dosage, weeding precision and watering schedule. There is a whole part of the gardening experience that machines will never be able to take away from us! This little je ne sais quoi. The pleasure of strolling in the garden, in deciding to weed one sector instead of another. This gut feeling to wait a few more days before cutting a faded flower.
The happiness that a garden provides cannot be quantified, measured or analyzed. It’s all intangible!
So, this week, I asked the Artificial Intelligence itself why it will never be able to replace us, the real gardeners made of flesh and blood. And suddenly, my future as a blogger teetered on the brink! I couldn’t have done better! So I’m sharing with you, here verbatim, ChatGPT’s answer to my big question. Good reading!
“Artificial intelligence (AI) will never be able to replace a gardener for several fundamental reasons linked to the very nature of gardening work:
Sensitivity and adaptation
Gardening often requires a keen understanding and adaptation to changing environmental conditions, such as weather, soil and plant health. An AI might struggle to pick up on these subtle nuances and adapt effectively.
Creativity and aesthetics
Gardening is also an art. Gardeners use their creativity to design aesthetically pleasing and harmonious spaces, choosing plants for their colors, shapes and arrangement. This is a difficult aspect to automate accurately, as it often depends on human intuition and aesthetic sensitivity.
Interaction with plants
Gardeners often develop a relationship with their plants, carefully observing their growth, detecting signs of disease or stress, and adjusting care accordingly. This intimate and attentive relationship is difficult to reproduce with an AI.
Physical and practical work
Much of gardening work involves physical tasks such as planting, weeding, pruning and general maintenance. Although robots can help with some of these tasks, they cannot always match the efficiency and precision of an experienced human gardener.
Specialized knowledge and tradition
Gardeners often gain extensive knowledge of plants, growing methods, and gardening practices specific to their region or garden type. This expertise is often passed down through generations or learned through experience, giving gardeners an advantage that AI systems cannot easily replicate without a huge amount of data and learning.
In summary, while AI can be useful for some technical and repetitive tasks in gardening, it cannot replace the skill set, intuition, and creativity of a human gardener in creating and the maintenance of intricate and beautiful gardens.”
And There you have it. All is said! I can’t go any further! Now is the time for me to throw my computer off the bridge! You’ll find me in the garden, talking about my problems with my tomatoes, creating bouquets of dead flowers and watering my basil with all the tears in my body.
See you next Saturday!
AI cannot replace your memories of gardening with a parent, grandparent & friends.
Very well, now ask AI to tell us why it will do better at gardening than humans. I think it has been programmed to answer us with what ever bias it seems we want to hear.
I loved this article. I remember my Dad talking to me about gardening and I’ve shared these stories with my sons and now my grandson. It true you can’t completely take the human factor out. I’m sharing this article with my sisters. Thanks!