Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria

The limited number of agricultural extension agents (EAs) in sub-Saharan Africa limits farmers’ access to extension services. Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants could potentially aid in providing answers to farmers’ questions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of an AI cha...

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Main Authors: Ibrahim, Ali, Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu, Saito, Kazuki
Format: Preprint
Language:Inglés
Published: Research Square Platform LLC 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136087
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author Ibrahim, Ali
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Saito, Kazuki
author_browse Ibrahim, Ali
Saito, Kazuki
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
author_facet Ibrahim, Ali
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Saito, Kazuki
author_sort Ibrahim, Ali
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The limited number of agricultural extension agents (EAs) in sub-Saharan Africa limits farmers’ access to extension services. Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants could potentially aid in providing answers to farmers’ questions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of an AI chatbot assistant (ChatGPT) to provide quality responses to farmers’ questions. We compiled a list of 32 questions related to irrigated rice cultivation from farmers in Kano State, Nigeria. Six EAs from the state were randomly selected to answer these questions. Their answers, along with those of ChatGPT, were assessed by four evaluators in terms of quality and local relevancy. Overall, chatbot responses were rated significantly higher quality than EAs’ responses. Chatbot responses received the best score three times as often as the EAs’ (40% vs. 13%). The evaluators preferred chatbot responses to EAs in 78% of cases. The topics for which the chatbot responses received poorer scores than those by EAs included planting time, seed rate, and fertilizer application rate and timing. In conclusion, while the chatbot could offer an alternative source for providing agricultural advisory services to farmers, incorporating site-specific input rate-and-timing agronomic practices into AI assistants is critical for their direct use by farmers.
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spelling CGSpace1360872024-11-13T09:00:15Z Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria Ibrahim, Ali Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu Saito, Kazuki artificial intelligence cultivation irrigated rice nigeria farmer participation The limited number of agricultural extension agents (EAs) in sub-Saharan Africa limits farmers’ access to extension services. Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants could potentially aid in providing answers to farmers’ questions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of an AI chatbot assistant (ChatGPT) to provide quality responses to farmers’ questions. We compiled a list of 32 questions related to irrigated rice cultivation from farmers in Kano State, Nigeria. Six EAs from the state were randomly selected to answer these questions. Their answers, along with those of ChatGPT, were assessed by four evaluators in terms of quality and local relevancy. Overall, chatbot responses were rated significantly higher quality than EAs’ responses. Chatbot responses received the best score three times as often as the EAs’ (40% vs. 13%). The evaluators preferred chatbot responses to EAs in 78% of cases. The topics for which the chatbot responses received poorer scores than those by EAs included planting time, seed rate, and fertilizer application rate and timing. In conclusion, while the chatbot could offer an alternative source for providing agricultural advisory services to farmers, incorporating site-specific input rate-and-timing agronomic practices into AI assistants is critical for their direct use by farmers. 2023-12-04 2024-01-02T03:21:11Z 2024-01-02T03:21:11Z Preprint https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136087 en Open Access application/pdf Research Square Platform LLC Ibrahim, Ali, Kalimuthu Senthilkumar, and Kazuki Saito (2023). Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria. Research Square [preprints]: 18 p.
spellingShingle artificial intelligence
cultivation
irrigated rice
nigeria
farmer participation
Ibrahim, Ali
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Saito, Kazuki
Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title_full Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title_fullStr Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title_short Evaluating responses by ChatGPT to farmers’ questions on irrigated rice cultivation in Nigeria
title_sort evaluating responses by chatgpt to farmers questions on irrigated rice cultivation in nigeria
topic artificial intelligence
cultivation
irrigated rice
nigeria
farmer participation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136087
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