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'I am not sure we could run our farm without AI'

Maisie LillywhiteGloucestershire
BBC A middle aged couple - a man with grey hair and a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, smile as they rest their hands on the withers of a black cow in a field. The man is wearing a navy polo shirt, checked shorts and wellies, and the woman is wearing a light blue jumper, skinny jeans and black trainers. It is a cloudy but warm day in the summer, and the grass in the field is scorched.BBC
Paul Westaway, pictured with wife Kirsty, said artificial intelligence helps give an insight into his herd's behaviour and health issues

A cattle farmer said he is not sure his farm would be able to run without artificial intelligence (AI) because of the insight the technology provides into his herd's behaviour.

Paul Westaway, who farms in Dymock in Gloucestershire, uses a fitness tracker-style device on his cows - usually placed in their collar or as an additional ear tag - to track them.

The data gathered from each cow compares its behaviour from one week to the next, as well as that of the rest of the herd, helping to shine light on their health and whether they are in heat.

"AI works its way through and says 'Cow Dolly is behaving in a different way than she normally does'," explained Westaway.

"That means she's either not feeling very well or she's in heat and ready for service using artificial insemination'."

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The electronic tags used record movement and ear temperature, with 120 readings taken every minute, Westaway said.

Every 20 minutes, an alert is sent to Westaway's mobile phone to alert him to how his herd are getting on.

"The great thing about the tag is it doesn't have a day off, it works on Sundays and it works at night," he said.

Westaway added AI works "really well for us and is of huge benefit" because cows are "hardwired" not to show pain or distress as they are prey animals who naturally do not want to appear vulnerable.

But its use in farming is nothing new, with Westaway having used the technology for more than a decade.

"I'm not sure we could run the farm without it," he said.

A middle aged woman with a brown bob smiles slightly as she stands on a damp street in a Cotswold village. There are cars driving behind her and a bus stop. She is wearing a brown coat with a blue jumper beneath it and a large silver necklace.
Chloe Turner says she is worried the use of AI could lead to future job losses

Westaway spoke to BBC Radio Gloucestershire as part of wider coverage on the use of AI across the county - a discussion which also included Chloe Turner, leader of Stroud District Council.

She explained how the council had been using AI for transcription, so staff can "concentrate on the bits where the human is really important".

But Turner also expressed concerns more widely that AI was being rolled out "before we necessarily understand the risks", as well as issues surrounding the technology's impact on the environment and employment.

Turner said she had added AI to an upcoming Stroud District Council meeting agenda and councillors and staff have received some training on it.

"Personally, I'm quite a fan of humans, so I don't particularly want to replace the human race with machines," she said.

"I can see the economic upsides but I am concerned about job losses in future, particularly for young people, where a lot of entry-level jobs are potentially going to be replaced by this technology."

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