As an agronomist with a strong interest in AI and a software engineer by day, I'm always on the lookout for innovative tools and technologies to help farmers make better decisions and manage their operations more efficiently. Recently, I came across FBN's AI, called "Norm," which is designed to provide support and recommendations for farmers dealing with various issues. Intrigued by the concept, I decided to test it out and compare its performance with another popular AI, ChatGPT.

I should clarify that I am not sponsored by FBN in any way, and my opinions are entirely my own.

It's important to note that Norm is still in beta mode and undergoing testing, so I acknowledge that my experience and opinions may change in the future, just as they did with the use of drones in agriculture. As of today, April 19, 2023, this is my perspective on FBN's AI "Norm."

To evaluate Norm's capabilities, I asked about dock weed control in an alfalfa field. To get a fair comparison, I asked the same question to ChatGPT. While both AIs provided useful information, I couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with Norm's approach. It prioritized suggesting products available through FBN instead of providing a broader range of options, like active ingredients, which ChatGPT did.

It’s important to acknowledge the date, is 11 months ago. This is an opportunity for FBN to demonstrate this has been addressed.

As an agronomist, I appreciate the importance of unbiased information, and I would have felt more confident in Norm's recommendations if it had first shared active ingredients, similar to ChatGPT. This would have allowed me to consider various options without feeling as though I was being pushed towards a sale.

Despite this minor drawback, I believe AI like Norm holds great potential for revolutionizing customer service in agribusiness. With further development, Norm could become an indispensable tool for farmers and agronomists alike. I envision a version of Norm that begins the conversation by asking how it can help and then offers suggestions based on active ingredients to address the problem at hand. Once a suitable solution is identified, Norm could then connect users to FBN's agronomists or sales representatives for further assistance.

In conclusion, FBN's AI "Norm" is a promising tool that could greatly benefit the agricultural industry. However, to gain the trust and confidence of users, it should prioritize providing unbiased, comprehensive information. By incorporating the best practices from other AI platforms like ChatGPT and focusing on improving the user experience, Norm has the potential to become an invaluable resource for farmers and agronomists, transforming customer service in agribusiness. As it moves out of beta and continues to evolve, I look forward to seeing how Norm will shape the future of agtech.

It would have been a better practice for this to be the initial response.

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