Artificial intelligence is becoming part of food production and shopping, but the technology also raises questions about trust, fairness and who controls agricultural data.
Jo-Ann McArthur, president and founding partner of Nourish Food Marketing, discussed those opportunities and concerns on the “Food, AI, and Transparency” episode of Manitoba Pork’s Chop Talk podcast.
McArthur describes AI in practical terms. Machines recognize patterns in data and use them to make predictions or decisions. Farmers have used AI components for years through precision agriculture, tractors and barn equipment.
McArthur cautions that its predictions depend on previous data. That makes it less reliable when an unprecedented event changes the conditions behind the forecast.
In livestock production, automated systems can monitor feed bins and help producers manage inventories. BinSentry, for example, uses sensors and machine vision to measure feed levels, reducing the need for producers to climb bins and check them manually.
AI also helps processors improve cutting precision, use more of an animal and reduce waste. Across the supply chain, it can optimize transportation routes and monitor temperatures as food moves from farms to processors and retailers.
Consumers encounter the technology through online searches, digital shelf labels and shopping assistants. Electronic labels allow retailers to update prices across many stores quickly. McArthur distinguishes that efficiency from personalized or time-based dynamic pricing, which could leave shoppers feeling that prices are unfair.
She says retailers must balance testing and innovation with consumer confidence. Time-saving technology will lose value if customers believe it is being used against them.
AI is also becoming a personal meal-planning assistant. Consumers can describe the ingredients they have, their dietary restrictions, the number of people they are feeding and the time available. An AI tool can then suggest a meal, create a shopping list and, in some systems, order the missing groceries.

Walmart’s AI shopping assistant, Sparky, illustrates the direction retailers are taking. Such tools are designed to keep consumers within a single company’s shopping system by making planning and ordering easier.
Despite growth in online ordering, McArthur does not expect physical grocery stores to disappear. Shoppers still value seeing food and interacting with people. She points to retailers that retain staffed checkouts or provide slower lanes for customers who welcome conversation.
Trust is equally important in food marketing. McArthur says consumers increasingly respond to photographs and videos that feel natural rather than perfectly produced. Farmers can build connections by showing ordinary work, including muddy boots and daily animal care, without exposing every part of their operations.
AI-generated food images can have the opposite effect. If a meal looks artificial or unrealistically perfect, consumers may question the product and the business presenting it.
Farmers also face data ownership issues. Modern equipment collects large volumes of information that may be transferred to technology companies, analyzed and incorporated into products sold back to producers.
McArthur says data sovereignty and the right to repair technologically advanced equipment will remain important agricultural issues. Efficiency matters, but farmers must understand what information their machinery collects, where it goes and who benefits from it. •
— By Harry Siemens