This week I was struggling to think of an emerging innovation that was not related to AI. It seems like AI technology for me just really became relevant last semester and has just completely taken over every industry imaginable. I have honestly no clue where we could be on the hype curve for this emerging technology. Are we overhyping its capabilities? Or is it really this powerful and we are just skimming the water for an introduction to what is to come in the future? While AI is getting all the hype right now, is there another technology out there that could help us as a society take another leap in advancement? This past weekend I got caught up in the black void of what is known as YouTube and happened to get sucked in a stream of videos about human-to-plant communication.
Yes, I really just said human-to-plant communication. The study of human-plant communication is a new field of study that looks at how people and plants can communicate with one another. Recently, experts created a new tool that enables electrical messages to be sent between people and plants. The system, which was created by researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, operates by taking measurements of the electrical signals that plants release in reaction to environmental cues. By enabling farmers and researchers to precisely monitor plant behavior and spot early indications of stress or disease, the device might be utilized in agriculture to maximize plant growth and health. This may lessen the need for pesticides and other chemicals, resulting in more ecologically friendly and sustainable agricultural methods. The tool might also be used to examine how various environmental elements like temperature, humidity, and light affect plant growth, revealing important information on how plants adjust to shifting environmental conditions.
The tool could be used in environmental monitoring to identify alterations in plant behavior that point to environmental stress or pollution. An early warning system for potential environmental risks may be created, for instance, by utilizing changes in the electrical signals that plants release to identify the presence of toxins in the air or soil. This could be especially helpful in cities where plants can assist filter and absorbing air pollutants but may also be prone to their detrimental effects.
Earlier this semester I remember someone writing a blog post about AI being able to pick up on animal communication specifically with dolphins. So of course I surely can’t go a whole blog post without also bringing the capabilities of matching this technology with AI can do. We could open up a huge range of new applications and possibilities if we combined AI with human-to-plant communication technologies. In order to uncover patterns and trends in plant activity that would be challenging for humans to recognize on their own, AI might be used to analyze the information gathered by the device. AI algorithms could be used, for instance, to recognize particular electrical signals released by plants that are a symptom of certain environmental conditions or diseases. AI might potentially be used to improve the way that people and plants communicate. AI algorithms could assist humans in creating more effective communication techniques that produce more accurate and meaningful answers from the plants by analyzing how plants react to various stimuli and interactions. As a result, people may be better able to comprehend plants’ demands and adapt to their shifting settings, perhaps resulting in new advancements in agriculture and environmental monitoring. AI may also be used to develop new interfaces and applications for technology that connects people and plants. For instance, AI-driven virtual assistants might be created to improve human-plant communication by giving real-time feedback and recommendations based on the responses of the plants. What’s more, AI-powered tools might be created to assist people in converting electrical signals emitted by plants into accessible visual or auditory representations.
Although the technology is still in its development stage, it has the power to fundamentally alter the way we engage with plants and improve our grasp of their behavior and communication. We may be able to develop more environmentally friendly and environmentally sustainable approaches to agriculture and urban planning, as well as acquire new insights into the intricate workings of the natural world, by developing new means for people to communicate with plants.
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