I am often surprised by the feats that AI can accomplish these days. It is starting to look like there is no industry that will go untouched by this frightening, yet equally exciting technology.
This morning I glanced through my news feed where an article named: “This Norwegian AI Powered Startup Has Big Plans For The Meat Industry” caught my attention. I was not surprised so much by the fact that AI has made it’s way into this industry, but when I took a moment to think about it, I was curious to know HOW AI would be of use.
In the article the CEO and Co-founder of the software startup Völur, Robert Ekrem, explains how big impact AI can make on the meat industry and even the world. The article quotes that this industry is responsible for about 14.5% of the CO2 emissions globally. It is also estimated that 24% of the meat is lost in the process of cutting the carcass into the demanded cuts. According to Ekrem, the AI developed by Völur will have an immediate effect on these stats if all meat production was managed by this system. He brings these effects into perspective by explaining that bringing the emissions down by only a few percent could equate to 50% of the CO2 emitted by the entire worldwide commercial air transport industry.
Where do I stand on AI technologies?
I would like to consider myself a cautious optimist when it comes to AI. I believe that it is great to see developments like these where efficiency in any industry can be maximized. Yet I also strive to be critical of any of these developments in terms of ethics. We have all heard the scary stories of AI that takes over the human race, replacing the need for real people anywhere in the world… I am not one to believe such.
So what is the opinion then?
Now this seems to be a very positive development, but let us take the time to look at the economical effects that such a system will have. The initial benefit to farmers will be that they are not as pressured to supply high amounts of livestock. This will mean it is easier for them to meet new regulations around CO2 emissions and limits on how many animals can be kept for a specified area. On the other hand, this will mean that they will be in a period where their farm will not be able to grow, since the production of the same amount of animals will start to suffice for greater needs than before. Their income stream will stagnate. So good for the environment, but not as good for farmers’ livelihoods.
This can be taken further, into the age old laws of supply and demand. As soon as production increases, supply trumps demand. Therefore, the price of meat will come down and have an even greater impact on the earnings of the farmer.
So this puts us in a moral “Catch 22”. With the environmental impacts on one side and real people’s daily bread on the other. And I am sure that scientists and economists have thought much longer and harder on these common situations. Yet it seems there is no balance to be found…
References
Daniela De Lorenzo. “This Norwegian AI Powered Startup Has Big Plans For The Meat Industry” Forbes.com. Nov. 9, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/danieladelorenzo/2023/11/09/this-norwegian-ai-powered-startup-has-big-plans-for-the-meat-industry/?sh=3c7d7a5538d6, Accessed on 09 November 2023.
