In Kenya, farmers are using AI and smartphone apps to grow more food

You may be skeptical, but smartphones can be used for more than just communicating, checking the weather, and taking photos of your cat. In Kenya, some are using their smartphones to grow more food.

In Western Kenya, Roselyn Akochi, a small-scale farmer, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve crops. She grows cassava, a starchy, carbohydrate-rich root vegetable grown in Africa, Asia and South America.

Roselyn uses her phone to scan her plants. Here’s how she can instantly diagnose diseases and pests: She uses an app developed by the nonprofit Plant Village. This technology provides an immediate solution to crop health problems, solving problems that farmers like Akochi have been facing for years.

The app offers more than just disease diagnosis. It also includes resources on obtaining quality seeds, preparing land, and communicating with agricultural experts. Since the introduction of the app in 2018, Akothee’s harvest has increased dramatically. Her cassava harvest has grown from five bags to 200, allowing her to pay for her children’s education and build a house. It’s great, isn’t it?

Personally, I don’t use AI on my phone very often, but that will probably change in the near future as more and more is connected to AI and it will eventually become inevitable. However, many people are already using AI… in different ways. The above story from Kenya reminds me of stories from around the world that also relate to AI.

In Japan there is CatsMe! application which uses artificial intelligence to help pet owners determine whether their cats are in pain, reducing the need for stressful visits to the vet. The app was trained on 6,000 cat images and claims over 95% accuracy, which is expected to improve with more data.

The app solves a common problem: studies show that more than 70% of older cats experience pain, but only 2% receive veterinary care.

Like I said, AI isn’t for me right now, but I can see that changing soon. Sounds promising, I can’t deny.