As I am writing this column, the stock markets just had their worst day in the last 2 years. The NYSX closed at a loss of over 1000 points, or nearly 3%. In Japan it was much worse yet with -12%; their worst single day loss since 1987! And European markets closed 2.2% lower on average.
Three main reasons were given, for this mini crash: the disappointing job market in the USA, the Fed’s decision to maintain interest rates while cuts were expected, and … the fact that AI is no longer deemed to be as big of a miracle moneymaker for the big tech companies. Some analysts wrote that the AI bubble burst on August 5, 2024. Surely, AI won’t go away, but the big tech companies were overvalued for it and a bit of human reality returned.
Artificial intelligence has been making its way into the greenhouse industry steadily as well. Autonomous growing is the future, if we believe the major climate control software suppliers. Greenhouses are equipped with more and more sensors and equipment to optimize production, quality and energy efficiency. The human green thumb is being replaced by technology and big data. While greenhouse operations become bigger and bigger, employees with green thumbs are harder to find. So, AI-based autonomous growing seems to be the way to go. But to what extent can we ever fully rely on it?
