The advent of artificial intelligence in dairy farming: A comprehensive overview

Abstract

The dairy sector plays a crucial role in providing nutritious food, generating income, and creating employment opportunities worldwide. With a growing population, the demand for dairy products is expected to rise, but challenges such as limited arable land and climate change will impact livestock productivity. To enhance productivity and resource efficiency, dairy production systems require technological innovations to aid decision-making for better herd management. Artificial intelligence is transforming dairying by providing innovative solutions to optimize various dairy husbandry practices by employing technologies like machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, fuzzy logic systems, natural language processing and expert systems to support data-driven decisions and promote sustainability. However, AI adoption faces hurdles such as identifying farms, obtaining real-time data, high costs, technical complexity, data privacy issues, and a digital divide favoring larger farms. This review offers a comprehensive overview of AI applications in dairy farming, focusing on their transformative potential, challenges, and prospects.