Bayer, Microsoft unveils adapted AI models for agriculture

Date:11-19-2024

Earlier this year, Bayer announced a pilot that utilizes generative AI (GenAI) to upskill agronomists and other farmer-facing employees, enabling them to quickly and accurately address questions related to agronomy, farm management, and Bayer agricultural products. 

This new domain-specific GenAI model, called E.L.Y. (Expert Learning for You), positions Bayer as an agri-food frontrunner in developing contextually relevant and compliant responses to user prompts. As a result, Bayer is recognized as a lighthouse provider at Microsoft Ignite 2024, alongside other select industry leaders.

Continuously validated by Bayer agronomists, E.L.Y. is already enhancing productivity for over 1,500 frontline employees in the United States. These employees are leveraging the model to navigate complex agronomic information, delivering faster and more accurate results to farmers and other agricultural customers seeking insights about Bayer products and general agricultural practices. Focus group testing indicates that 90 percent of E.L.Y.'s users are willing to continue using it and recommend it to a colleague. 

"In early 2023, we saw that OpenAI's ChatGPT 3.5 performed well on the Certified Crop Advisor exam, which sparked our interest. It was already passing this standardized test required of U.S. crop advisors. By integrating Bayer's agronomic intelligence and vetting it with our experts, we wondered how smart we could make it in applied agronomy and our products."

Dan Kurdys

Global Business Lead for GenAI

The answer? Very smart. Bayer has achieved over a 40 percent improvement in answering questions accurately compared to initial testing with ChatGPT. Additionally, frontline employees report time savings of up to four hours per week, demonstrating how E.L.Y. has accelerated response times and improved customer interactions. To ensure high accuracy, the team has implemented automated processes to keep the system updated with the latest agricultural information. 

"GenAI is not about replacing people or taking away jobs," Kurdys emphasized. "It's about augmenting our everyday work and providing easy access to information that would otherwise be locked away in the minds of a few agronomists and their laptops. It's about saving institutional knowledge when someone retires or leaves the company, and I strongly believe it's a tool that can be used by Bayer and others to better serve farmers."

Looking ahead, Bayer plans to further advance the internal use of E.L.Y. and is committed to expanding its capabilities to enhance how our teams serve smallholder farmers. Additionally, we aim to explore future business opportunities with partners, agribusinesses, and enterprise customers.

E.L.Y. Crop Protection: Supporting Sustainable Agriculture

In response to the increasing challenges faced by farmers worldwide – such as regulations, the push for sustainability, and the need for cost savings – E.L.Y. Crop Protection has been created to simplify crop management and support farmers in their success. Developed by the Crop Science division at Bayer in collaboration with Microsoft, E.L.Y. Crop Protection is a specialized Ag Domain small language model (SLM) based on Microsoft’s Phi-3 SLM and is available on the Azure AI model catalog.

This innovative adapted AI model boosts the confidence and understanding of those assisting farmers in navigating the complexities of crop management. With thousands of crop protection options available, both advisors and farmers can make informed decisions that protect crops while promoting environmental sustainability. E.L.Y. Crop Protection is a game-changer, offering a cost-effective, customizable, and scalable foundation for agricultural entities, whether they are small farms or large enterprises.

"Our unique GenAI system has the potential to serve agronomists and benefit farmers all over the world, further advancing AI as an indispensable technology for agriculture."

Amanda McClerren

CIO and Head of Digital Transformation & Information Technology, Crop Science

"AI holds immense promise to address the challenges faced by farmers today. E.L.Y. Crop Protection empowers advisors and farmers to make knowledgeable choices that benefit their crops and ultimately their business."

Satish Thomas

Corporate Vice President, Business & Industry Solutions, Microsoft