From the ground up: A conversation with the UK’s AI Minister on AI's role in agriculture
Deep Planet's vision is to harness cutting-edge technology to solve some of the world's most pressing environmental and agricultural challenges. A key part of that journey is fostering dialogue with leaders who share this vision.
Recently, our CEO, Sushma Shankar, had the privilege of meeting with the UK’s AI Minister, Feryal Clark to discuss how Deep Planet’s geospatial AI platform is pioneering change in the wine and wider agricultural industry. The meeting, at Rathfinny Wine Estates, was an excellent opportunity to showcase on-the-ground impact that UK-based AI and space technology can deliver.
The context: AI, agriculture, and a national imperative
The UK's agricultural sector is at a pivotal moment, facing the dual pressures of climate change and the need to enhance food security and sustainability. Technology, particularly in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Earth Observation, offers a powerful path forward.
Our conversation with the Minister highlighted this critical intersection. We discussed how a new generation of AI, powered by data from space, can be a practical tool for building a resilient food system.
Deep Planet: Delivering impact from the ground up
We showcased how our geospatial AI platform provides farmers, agribusinesses, and supply chains with critical, real-time intelligence on a range of issues:
Soil health: Our models monitor key soil health indicators, including Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), which is vital for both climate resilience and long-term productivity.
Disease & pest management: We demonstrated our ability to detect disease threats in vineyards with high accuracy, enabling targeted interventions that reduce the need for widespread chemical application.
Water optimisation: Our technology helps farmers manage water resources more efficiently, a critical priority in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather.
This discussion with the UK AI Minister was a testament to our team’s dedication to building a leading platform. It underscored that Deep Planet is not only a leader in UK AI and space technology but is also directly aligned with national priorities for fighting climate change and fostering a sustainable, innovative economy. We are grateful to the funding and encouragement from the UK’s innovation ecosystem and Innovate UK for continuing to support us and those who are pushing the boundaries of the technology.
The path ahead
This meeting is a crucial step in our journey. It reinforces the importance of collaboration between innovators, industry, and government. We are committed to scaling our technology to create a wider, positive impact on agriculture, sustainability, and planetary health.
