A 67-year-old farmer from Chuzhou, China, sought advice from an artificial intelligence program to manage weeds and pests in his sesame crop. The AI provided a detailed strategy that included recommendations for two herbicides and two insecticides. Acting on this guidance, the farmer applied the chemicals across his entire 10-hectare field using a drone, neglecting to consult with agricultural experts or test the products on a smaller section first. The following day, he discovered that not only had the weeds perished, but all of the sesame seedlings had also died, and the farmer noted that the seedlings seemed to succumb even more rapidly than expected. He estimated his losses to be around 150,000 yuan, equivalent to about $22,245. When he reported the incident to the AI application he had used, the chatbot suggested that the herbicide fomesafen, which is typically applied to soybean crops, was likely responsible for the destruction. This chemical is not suitable for sesame and is generally used in a very targeted manner on other crops. In response to the farmer's concerns, customer support informed him that the AI's recommendations are derived from publicly available sources and may occasionally be inaccurate. The incident raises questions about accountability—should the blame lie with the AI or the farmer for following its advice?
Informational material. 18+.
