March 4, 2026
This work is sponsored by Dakota State University.
Why do farmers and ranchers choose to incorporate artificial intelligence into their agricultural operations?
What are the benefits of this technology? What are the barriers?
These are some of the fundamental questions about agriculture and artificial intelligence that Dakota State University professors and researchers want to answer.
“Artificial intelligence in agriculture has advanced rapidly, but adoption and integration have lagged behind innovation,” said DSU Information Systems Professor Cherie Noteboom.
Along with her colleague, information systems professor Abeer Al-Khuwardi, they began a research study to determine what influences farmers’ decisions to implement AI in their operations.
“This use is not yet widespread in the Midwest and is not evenly distributed, especially among small and medium-sized farms. We want to understand the human element,” Alkwardi said. “Trust, Perception, and Social Norms.”
Noteboom, who joined DSU in 2009, has lived in the Midwest his entire life. Her relatives immigrated to the United States to farm, and her father worked as a veterinarian in South Dakota for more than 60 years.
For her, “this work is both an academic opportunity and a form of service,” she says. “This is an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to both academic and regional agricultural development.”
Mr. Al-Kuwardi joined DSU in 2025 after serving as head of management information systems at Muta University in Jordan.
She was recently named among the top 2% of scientists in the world in a prestigious list compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier. The list identifies influential researchers based on six metrics, including impact on research and citations by colleagues.
“I have done research on AI implementation, but in different areas,” she said. “My career has always focused on ensuring that technology works for people, a ‘sociotechnical’ approach. By conducting this research here at DSU, my goal is to provide the scientific evidence needed to create safe, responsible, farmer-centered AI solutions that will keep South Dakota competitive on a global scale.”
The professors’ backgrounds combined to create “a real opportunity for both of us,” Noteboom said.
The research started with two literature reviews and moved “very quickly,” she said. “Then we were able to conduct research and found that this was a very relevant initiative for the Midwest.”
They reach out to the farming community in 12 Midwestern states and have so far received input from more than 400 farmers in an online survey.
The study is still recruiting participants, but early results are consistent with what researchers concluded from a literature review.
“The main driver of AI adoption is performance expectations, the idea that AI will improve yield or reduce costs,” Alkwardi said. “Other influencing factors include how easy farmers perceive the tools to be to use, and their confidence that the technology is reliable and serves their business interests.”
Barriers include the cost of equipment with AI capabilities and concerns about data security and transparency.
“So many AI systems are in a black box. Farmers receive recommendations, but they don’t understand why or how they work,” Alkwardi said. “So this isn’t a digital divide; it’s a trust divide. We need a transparent system, or a system that aligns with traditional agricultural economic theory, to let farmers know how it works.”
Clear regulations and standards around data ownership and privacy would create a “safe environment for these tools,” she added.
Initial findings indicate the need for more education and awareness, as well as additional policy consideration, Noteboom said.
“Farmers adopt technology when it fits into their workflow and they start trusting the system,” she said. “For producers, agricultural stakeholders and policy providers, the key is the ability to do outreach and raise awareness.”
The investigation ends this month. To participate, go here.
The researchers plan to continue their research.
“I’m interested in elements of data security and the responsible use of AI,” Alkhwaldi said. “We know that farmers are concerned about unauthorized access, surveillance, and that their data could be misused by third parties, such as large competitors. These tools rely heavily on cloud computing and the Internet of Things, which naturally raises questions about how their data is accessed and how it is protected. Our research shows that if farmers don’t feel in control of their information, they will resist adopting tools, even if they offer clear productivity benefits.”
The research team is planning multiple papers and plans to present them at academic conferences. Future work could include considering not only how farmers decide to use AI, but also how they actually use AI.
DSU’s findings “could provide a kind of roadmap for policymakers to create further interventions regarding AI tools,” Al-Kuwardi added. “The industry needs to focus on co-designing tools with farmers to ensure these tools fit their daily operations and tasks and are easy to use. In the long term, we hope this research will lead to more resilient, data-driven farming systems that overcome the chasms and protect the interests of small and medium-sized producers.”
