Recently, we have been hearing about artificial intelligence (AI) almost every day. Much like GameStop and cryptocurrencies in 2021, AI has become the latest buzzword to enter the zeitgeist.
And as with the financial boom of 2021, opinions on this issue are generally strong, with some taking the position that this will be the greatest contribution to life since the invention of computers and the internet, and others saying it could become Some say there is evidence to blame for the collapse of modern civilization.
Multiple companies are currently vying for supremacy in the AI field. OpenAI has taken the world by storm with its ChatGPT platform, forcing companies like Microsoft and Alphabet (Google's parent company) to catch up. Many countries are also aiming to develop AI-friendly environments. The United States is currently the world's largest AI economy, with China a close second.
Recently, I've been working on developing algorithms that interact with different parts of a cultivation facility to develop automated solutions, ranging from using large-scale language model chatbots like ChatGPT to analyze data and streamline tasks. Leading up to its development, I read and watched many articles that explore the multiple uses of AI. For crop cultivation. This includes determining when to water based on previous water and nutrient applications, evaporation rates, and substrate moisture levels. AI can also be applied to growing areas to better control environmental conditions and improve the overall health and productivity of crops. Some growers are using AI-powered spectral imaging to measure potency and check for diseases such as hop latent viroid (HpLVd).
Expanding the application of AI in cannabis production
When many people think of AI, they think of robotics, such as AI-controlled robot arms used in car manufacturing.
It is these functional applications that hold the promise of efficiency that I am keen to focus on developing AI technologies and their applications in the plant-touch environment. Granted, it's impossible to know everything that's being developed, but we're seeing companies using automation to incorporate and leverage current technology, as well as new and unique developments for various cannabis production steps. There is no doubt that there are companies developing methodologies.
For example, several extraction equipment manufacturers have developed automated procedures that allow extraction cycles to be completed with minimal human intervention. In this procedure, after the operator puts in the biomass and takes out the extraction waste, the extraction process essentially takes place with the push of a button or two. . Other companies need to understand all relevant extraction parameters (biomass weight and quality, vessel pressure and temperature, solvent used, We are continuing to conduct experiments using AI to analyze the amount (e.g., the amount of
Some companies are using AI to help growers grade cannabis flower and sift through large quantities of bud with greater accuracy than humans. These systems utilize a series of AI-powered cameras to not only detect the presence of visible mold, but also to target buds based on various quality factors such as size, shape, and trichome head density. Evaluate and classify.
Other companies are bringing automation to a part of cannabis production that has long been considered more art than science: curing. These systems can be improved by using devices that can monitor container conditions and automatically “burp” these containers when conditions reach certain producer-determined set points, such as temperature or humidity. is designed to facilitate process replication.
Some manufacturers are looking to improve their auto-trimming systems by adding AI features. One company I spoke to recently introduced an automated trimming system. An employee places an individual flower into a holder and the flower passes through an assembly line. Untrimmed flowers travel down a truck to a trim station where multiple camera-guided rotating blades quickly trim unwanted plant material. The manufacturer says the machine can trim the same amount that humans can currently trim in a given amount of time. This may not be revolutionary right now, but like anything else, I think technology will improve.
The future of AI and robotics in cannabis
I believe that this use of AI is still in its infancy. I suspect that in the future, some applications will be perfected and used for large-scale cannabis production. Can a machine harvest the plant and cut branches off the main stock of the plant? I suspect yes.
If there is a machine that can feed the cut stems with flowers into an automatic clipper, the buds are sent to an AI-powered trimming machine, then to an automatic sorting and sorting machine, and finally monitored by AI. It may be sent to curing. Will it just end up being packaged or sent for extraction? Again, I suspect yes to all of that.
But could it become a reality? Once cannabis becomes federally legal, big companies will likely want large amounts of active ingredients, whether cannabinoids or terpenes, at the lowest possible production costs without compromising quality. By leveraging robotics for every conceivable task and procedure, you can achieve the lowest possible production costs. These active ingredients may be used in health products and medicines, rather than in jars sold as flowers.
I also think that some of these AI and robotic technologies will eventually find their way into the craft flower industry, particularly in bud selection tools. I don't see why commercial craft farmers would refuse such equipment. However, I am sure that many small producers would prefer a more hands-on approach. That means less automation and more human input. But with today's rock-bottom cannabis prices (some large-scale growers are claiming prices as low as $172 per pound), automation and AI could lower production costs and potentially drive prices even lower. It will be difficult to compete with.
Many aspects of craft cannabis production can potentially be automated and mechanized without compromising quality or the raw materials that make it a craft product. For example, a machine that can pot thousands of plants in a short time will not affect the final quality of the plants. Although we believe that some flower consumers prefer hand-trimmed buds to machine-trimmed buds, hand-trimming commercial quantities of cannabis slated for extraction is unrealistic. Perhaps tomorrow's AI trimmers will do a better job than humans at perfectly trimming buds.
Some companies are already developing AI-powered environmental controllers that learn specific growth parameters for different genetics, allowing them to adjust nutrient and water supply, room temperature and temperature based on previous crop data. It will be possible to automatically adjust environmental parameters such as humidity, light intensity and spectrum. .
Do I foresee a day when commercial cannabis will be grown, harvested, and packaged for sale entirely by machines and robots that incorporate artificial intelligence? No, not at least for now.
The main obstacle to making this scenario a reality is the same economic cost that undermines so many other great initiatives. Fully automated production facilities can be cost-prohibitive at this time. It would be difficult to repay such amounts to investors in a flooded market where the price per pound is falling rapidly and on a large scale.
However, if cannabis is federally legalized and large pharmaceutical companies enter the cannabis cultivation and extraction industry and produce their own products, they will need to obtain strict GMP certification and use reproducible and repeatable production methods. I think you will be looking for. So we will definitely incorporate both AI and robotics wherever possible.
As we have seen with the continued evolution of computers, it is inevitable that some future technology will eventually outperform human-plant interaction, and in large-scale operations the return on investment will be low. It will become clear soon.
As large corporate producers spend billions of dollars to support the development of these technologies, the trickle-down effect benefits both small and medium-sized production facilities, allowing them to adapt production based on their needs and preferences. You'll be able to better choose which production tasks to automate. method. This could help them produce better products at lower prices and remain competitive in an AI-filled future.
