John Deere’s new autonomous tractor is automating farming all over again
Agricultural jobs have been in decline for a long time, and now there's more new tech on the block in the form of this autonomous tractor.
Key takeaways
- During the first industrial revolution machines came and mechanised the agricultural industry, and in the USA alone this meant that the agricultural workforce which represented 41% of the total workforce was reduced to just 3%.
- John Deere’s fully autonomous 8R tractor will most certainly be a big benefit to some farmers, especially those contending with labour shortages, but not everyone is on board.
- According to Wired, the announcement has stirred debate over the role of AI in farming, specifically that it could ultimately give farmers less control over their own operations and lead to mass job redundancies.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'John Deere’s new autonomous tractor is automating farming all over again', 311 Institute, 18 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/john-deeres-new-autonomous-tractor-is-automating-farming-all-over-again/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
During the first industrial revolution machines came and mechanised the agricultural industry, and in the USA alone this meant that the agricultural workforce which represented 41% of the total workforce was reduced to just 3%. And now, after the world’s first fully autonomous crop was planted and harvested, and the world’s first fully autonomous vertical farm was unveiled tractors, the machines that led the first revolution, are becoming self-driving after John Deere announced that after years in development its autonomous tractor is finally “production-ready.”
Back in 2019, John Deere showed off its prototype and now says it’s ready for prime time, revealing that it intends to embark on large-scale production this year, with the driverless tractors being available to farmers before the end of the year.
See the Future of Food, by Futurist Keynote Matthew Griffin
Elektrek calls it “a step into the future” as John Deere’s new vehicle will allow farmers to leave the cabs of their tractors after programming them. The “driving” is then managed by “six pairs of stereo cameras around the vehicle to help with object detection,” says Engadget, combined with GPS which “enables it to maintain its position within a geofence around an individual field.”
Farmers simply drive it to the field, configure and swipe to start, then they’re free to leave it and monitor its progress on a mobile device. As part of a precision agriculture play he system’s even capable of gathering data as it works, like specific soil composition and so on, so it can tweak the algorithms for each application and field.
See it in action!
John Deere’s fully autonomous 8R tractor will most certainly be a big benefit to some farmers, especially those contending with labour shortages, but not everyone is on board. According to Wired, the announcement has stirred debate over the role of AI in farming, specifically that it could ultimately give farmers less control over their own operations and lead to mass job redundancies.
Said Kevin Kenney, an agricultural engineer quoted by Wired: “I’m all for innovation, and I think John Deere is a helluva company, but they’re trying to be the Facebook of farming.”
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Agricultural jobs have been in decline for a long time, and now there's more new tech on the block in the form of this autonomous tractor.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Future of farming deere.co.uk
- John deere takes a step into the future with first fully autonomous tractor electrek.co
- John deere autonomous tractor 203054726 engadget.com
- John deere self driving tractor stirs debate ai farming wired.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 February 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). John Deere’s new autonomous tractor is automating farming all over again. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/john-deeres-new-autonomous-tractor-is-automating-farming-all-over-again/
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