Summary The farmer asked the AI assistant for the best way to control weeds and pests in his sesame crop
(Wen Desk) - Chinese farmer claims that following advice from an artificial intelligence assistant on the use of pesticides resulted in the destruction of around 25 acres of his crops overnight.
According to local reports, the 67-year-old farmer from Chuzhou in Anhui province had been relying on AI for agricultural advice for about a year. He used AI to seek guidance on crop care, fertiliser use and planning various farming activities.
The farmer initially saw positive results from the AI-generated advice, which gradually increased his confidence in using the technology. He eventually began following its recommendations without verifying them with agricultural experts.
The problem emerged when the farmer asked the AI assistant for the best way to control weeds and pests in his sesame crop. He followed the recommended chemical treatment, but the results proved disastrous, with a large number of young plants in his fields completely destroyed.
Agricultural experts said the damage was caused mainly by the herbicide flufenacet, which can also harm sesame crops if it is not applied with extreme care and under the appropriate conditions.
The incident has raised fresh questions about the risks of relying heavily on AI in agriculture and other sensitive fields.
Experts have advised farmers to treat AI-generated recommendations as guidance rather than a final decision and to verify such advice with qualified agricultural and crop specialists before applying chemicals to their fields.
