| Abstract [eng] |
The Lithuanian agri-food industry, which includes mainly crop production, faces challenges to increase productivity and is one of the most unproductive in the European Union. The intensity of Lithuanian agriculture is low, due to the insufficient level of automation and the lack of application of innovative solutions. In Lithuania, the agri-food industry is a significant area that remained the most stable during the pandemic period, so solutions that contribute to the development of this industry need to be sought. Artificial intelligence can be rapidly integrated into agriculture due to its wide functional spectrum. In 2016, the European Commission launched the Digital Initiative for European Industry to strengthen the competitiveness of the European Union. Artificial intelligence is considered to be the most important moment in the digital transformation, which is why the application of artificial intelligence in the European Union has been identified as a priority for a decade. Digital transformation is also envisaged in the supply chain of the agri-food industry. Increasing demands are placed on the actors of the supply chain in relation to environmental requirements, the implementation of sustainability changes, and the aim is to make the supply chain more efficient, focusing on the needs of consumers. Artificial intelligence can help farmers work more accurately, efficiently and sustainably. Big data-based decisions can make decision-making easier and make farming more attractive to the younger generation. Lithuanian artificial intelligence strategy identifies agriculture as one of the sectors most affected by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence technologies are being developed in Lithuania, which are applied in the agri-food industry, but the successful integration of artificial intelligence is hindered by social, technological and economic barriers. The object of research is artificial intelligence in the agri-food industry. The aim of the research is to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on the development of the Lithuanian agri-food industry. The study found that the main impact of artificial intelligence is to increase labor productivity. Other important functional impacts of artificial intelligence are the ability to control soil properties and water. The importance of these impacts of artificial intelligence is conditioned by the classification of the Lithuanian agri-food industry into the crop segment. Lithuania's natural conditions mean that in order to have a higher yield, it is necessary to ensure water management on farms and monitor the properties of the soil. An important social impact of artificial intelligence is the reduction in the likelihood of human error. The management of soil properties and water, the reduction of the probability of human error leads to higher productivity in the agri-food industry, therefore, during the expert assessment, productivity was assessed as an important impact of artificial intelligence on the development of the agri-food industry. |
