Will AI and robots replace farmworkers in Arizona? Growers experiment with new technology

Arizona's agriculture industry is rapidly integrating AI and automation technologies—like laser weeders, drone sprayers, and automated seeders—to reduce labor costs, increase precision, and improve crop yields. While this shift addresses labor shortages and safety concerns, it raises ethical and economic questions about job displacement, especially for vulnerable farmworkers. Innovations tested in places like Yuma's "wireless farm" show promise, but high costs and unproven technologies remain barriers. Although some machines augment human work, others directly replace it, sparking debate over the future of farm labor and the role of technology in shaping it.

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