Artificial intelligence has entered conversations across agriculture, and like many of you, I’ve been trying to better understand what it means for our business, our Association and our day-to-day work. Members have asked about it and what our strategy should be. It’s a subject that generates curiosity and some uncertainty. In fact, I recently heard a speaker say that no technological advancement has generated as much emotional response as artificial intelligence. 

If you look back, there have been plenty of moments when new technology made people uncomfortable. The typewriter changed business. The calculator altered how we approached math. The internet and smartphones transformed communication and information access. Each innovation brought skepticism along with opportunity. Over time, each became tools we rely on.

I suspect artificial intelligence will follow a similar path.

At its core, AI uses data and powerful computing to recognize patterns, make predictions, and help people work efficiently and make better decisions. In many ways, that should sound familiar. Our industry is built on collecting data, developing tools like expected progeny differences (EPDs) and using information to improve cattle and create value.

The difference now is speed and scale.

Intentional exploration

Whether we realize it or not, most of us are already interacting with AI in small ways. When your email suggests how to finish a sentence, when your phone organizes photos, or when a piece of software helps sort and analyze data, that’s AI at work. 

As an Association, we are carefully evaluating where these kinds of tools might be beneficial. There is real potential to improve how we serve members, from streamlining internal processes to enhancing customer service or making our data more accessible and useful.

But I also want to be very clear: Our priority around data privacy and the protection of our member database is unwavering. The trust you place in this Association, particularly when it comes to your data, is something we do not take lightly. Any exploration of AI will be filtered through that lens first.

At the same time, I recognize there are broader concerns. There are questions about the effects on rural communities and land use for data centers and infrastructure. Those are valid considerations. Like many large-scale changes, not all effects are fully understood at the outset, and it’s important to acknowledge that.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but ignoring this issue is not realistic. Artificial intelligence will expand across industries, including ours. That doesn’t mean we rush to chase every new idea. But it does mean we approach it with intention.

As with other tools in our business, the goal isn’t to replace good judgment or the fundamentals that have made cattlemen successful for generations. Instead, it’s a complement to what we do, helping us work more efficiently, make more informed decisions, and deliver more value to the members and commercial cattlemen we serve.

As I think about the “other AI,” I come back to the same principle that has guided so much of our progress as a breed: Embrace the opportunity, understand the risks and move forward with a steady hand.

I’m confident that approach will serve us well here, too.