The power of AI
AI is a technology that enables machines to mimic human thinking and learning. It involves programming computers to process information, recognise patterns, and make decisions, similar to how humans do. For example, AI powers virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, helps recommend movies on streaming services, and even drives cars. AI systems learn from data and experiences, improving their performance over time. They can perform tasks such as understanding speech, recognising images, and playing games. In essence, AI allows machines to carry out complex tasks that typically require human intelligence, making our lives easier and more efficient.
In a new series of stories, we are featuring how we at AgResearch use AI, our scientists talk about some of the tools they are using and the difference they are making and why AI is being embraced by the scientific community.
In some ways, AgResearch was an early adopter of AI. Our researchers have been writing code and bespoke algorithms for two decades to make their work more efficient and crunch numbers to improve our research – the basic premise of AI.
With the arrival of Deep Learning, Quantum Computing, Large Language Models and Natural Language Processing, we are turbo charging our research findings and discovering new ways and uses for old data. For example, we are harnessing the power of AI to study flavour compounds from various foods to identify unique flavours and combinations, including foods indigenous to New Zealand.
