Does farming make us human? a report on two Australian public deliberations

Abstract Purpose Farmers in Australia are currently facing profound challenges due to soil degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, biosecurity threats, and difficulties in securing labour; farmers elsewhere face similar challenges. Increased use of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed as a possible solution to these problems. These technologies have the potential to radically transform the practice of farming: according to some authorities they hold out the prospect of a future in which, at least in some forms of farming, human farmers are no longer necessary. There is a strong case that such a radical transformation of the nature of agriculture would require social license. Methods In this paper, we report on the conduct and outcomes of public deliberations conducted in community juries in metropolitan and regional communities in Victoria, Australia, on the question: Under what conditions (if any) should we fully automate food and fibre production without human labour and decision-making? Findings The two juries came to different verdicts: full automation was rejected by consensus in metropolitan Melbourne but seen as being acceptable (under specific conditions) by a clear majority of jurors in the regional town of Mildura. Conclusion These findings, the existential concerns expressed by participants about the prospect of “farmerless farms”, and the quality of the deliberations in the juries, demonstrate the value of engaging with the public about technological trajectories and are highly relevant to the project of attempting to ensure that the use of robots and AI in agriculture has a social license.