Bill Gates watches AI in action on AP farm

 Amaravati: Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates on Monday witnessed firsthand how Andhra Pradesh is using artificial intelligence and drone technology to support farmers and meet their needs at the grassroots level.

Accompanied by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Gates visited a farm near Undavalli Karakatta on the outskirts of Amaravati. Senior Agriculture Department officials briefed him on AI-driven crop advisory systems, natural farming practices, and drone-driven pest control.

Gates walked through the fields. He watched as farmers used an AI tool to photograph a diseased plant and upload the image. Within seconds, the system identified the pest and suggested preventive measures.

A drone was then deployed to spray the affected area. Gates observed the entire process closely and praised the State’s AI-agritech integration.

Women farmers Mani and Annapurna explained the newly launched APAIMS Rythu app. They said the app (embodying a digital platform of the Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Information Management System), helps them decide which crops to grow, manage irrigation, assess soil health, track market prices, and control pests. They demonstrated how AI detects crop diseases and guides pesticide use. The drone service, they added, can be booked directly through the platform.

Officials said analytics dashboards and monitoring tools at farmer service centres are improving response time and advisory quality. The government aims to raise yields, cut cultivation costs, and boost farm exports.

Gates appreciated the efforts to combine technology with grassroots outreach.

Women farmers welcomed Gates and the Chief Minister with traditional warmth. Gates sampled local dishes prepared by them and inspected produce grown through natural farming methods. Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu and senior officials attended the field visit.

Earlier in the day, Gates visited the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) centre at the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat. Young IAS and IPS officers presented key digital governance initiatives on a video wall.

Officials explained the State’s data lake architecture, Aware 2.0 real-time monitoring system, WhatsApp governance platform, People’s Perception analytics tool, Agent Space AI search interface, the Sanjeevani health platform, and the Amaravati development vision.

Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, IT Minister Nara Lokesh and chief secretary K Vijayanand were present during the | presentations.