UQ researchers using artificial intelligence to breed plants resistant to climate change, pests.

Artificial intelligence is not inherently bad; one's use of it determines its impact on the world. As scary as it may be, seeing recent developments within the field, it has the potential to improve the lives of many. Two Queensland agricultural scientists, for example, say it could be the key to feeding the planet's growing population by developing more sustainable and profitable plants.

Geneticist Lee Hickey got a glimpse of the potential of AI following an analysis conducted on a dataset of two different diseases within a barley population.

Professor Ben Hayes explained how AI could help "turn data into food": the technology in question can help breeders decide which traits to target, select the best plants, and make predictions about how good a plant variety is for breeding.