** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** OUR PLANET FACES A DAUNTING CHALLENGE: BY THE END OF THE CENTURY, WORLD POPULATION WILL INCREASE BY 45%, CROPLAND WILL DECREASE BY 20% AND OUR CLIMATE WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY VARIABLE, THREATENING CROPS AND PUTTING COMMUNITIES AT RISK. WE NEED TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY BY 70% TO MEET OUR GROWING FOOD SECURITY NEEDS - A CHALLENGE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO MEET UNDER OUR CURRENT RATE OF PROGRESS.NOW IMAGINE A TRULY GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN GREATLY ACCELERATE THIS PROGRESS. IT ALREADY EXISTS IN THE FORM OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI). USING ADVANCED SENSOR TECHNOLOGY, SCIENTISTS CAN CREATE DIGITAL TWINS - VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS THAT MIMIC REAL-WORLD PLANTS, CROPS AND FARMS. FOR EVERY YEAR OF BIOLOGICAL DATA, DIGITAL TWIN-BASED AI SYSTEMS CAN CREATE HUNDREDS OF REALITY-BASED SIMULATIONS THAT CAN:STREAMLINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE PLANT BREEDING TO HELP SCIENTISTS DEVELOP IMPROVED CROP VARIETIES THAT CAN BETTER WITHSTAND ENVIRONMENTAL, PEST AND DISEASE CHALLENGES WHILE DELIVERING HIGHER YIELDS AND QUALITY.HELP FARMERS AND THEIR ADVISORS ADOPT IMPROVED FARMING TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BOOST THEIR PROFITS AND HELP IMPROVE THE LONG-TERM CARE OF THEIR CRITICAL LAND AND SOIL RESOURCES.PROVIDE GOVERNMENTS WITH THE INSIGHT THEY NEED TO ENCOURAGE AND INCENTIVIZE ADOPTION OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT DELIVER THE MOST BENEFIT WITH THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL COST.GIVE AGRICULTURAL COMPANIES THE DATA AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE PRECISION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND IMPROVED PLANT VARIETIES THAT THRIVE WITH LESS WATER, FERTILIZER AND PESTICIDES.DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE RURAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH AI-INSPIRED VENTURES.THE LEADERS OF THE AI INSTITUTE FOR RESILIENT AGRICULTURE (AIIRA) BELIEVE THESE BREAKTHROUGHS - AND MORE - CAN BE A REALITY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. THE INSTITUTE IS BRINGING TOGETHER AI EXPERTS WITH PLANT BREEDERS, AGRONOMISTS, GENETICISTS AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO ACCELERATE THE ADAPTATION AND USE OF AI-BASED TECHNOLOGIES TO TRANSFORM AGRICULTURE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR WORLD'S GROWING POPULATION AND INCREASINGLY CLIMATE-CHALLENGED FOOD SYSTEMS.