Artificial Intelligence (rather than the AI that the thoroughbred breeding industry regards as the Prince of Darkness) is going to change all our worlds and the breeding industry is no exception, nor should it want to be. Remember the evolution of tractors, hydraulics and the farm equipment they can power, and what it did for our grandparents and great-grandparents?
AI is little different to those farm tools, apart from that its own evolution will be at warp speed. The early rate of progress will be handicapped, however, not only by humans’ ability to ask the right questions (which is vital) but also every AI model’s access to correct data and for that also to be in a form that can be processed.
The adage ‘Don’t believe everything you read in the papers’ applies equally to the information available on the internet. As AI has no ability to interrogate for truth and fact, until either 1) It is able to do so or 2) Internet content is sanitised, in certain tasks you ask of AI, the outcome may be a case of rubbish in, rubbish out!
However, early AI is very good where data can be relied upon, and the breeding industry is already able to take advantage. The first and obvious option might be a mating selection option – after all, the General Stud Book provides all the information needed to draw conclusions in respect of sire and dam choice, plus the ability to compare, identify, discover and reach outcomes in respect of the ideal mating.
But – and this might be a very big but – haven’t there already been human developed theories (dosage, line breeding, numbers, nicks etc.), all of which relied upon the analysis of data and blood lines? Bryan Mayoh, a former trustee of the TBA, wrote a series of excellent articles for the Racing Post examining almost all of the ‘theories’ and reached the conclusion that the old maxim of ‘breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best’ is still most relied upon, and that perhaps until AI thinks for itself and doesn’t rely upon complex algorithms, that we might be best with the status quo. Be careful what you wish for, as they say!
However, AI will make big differences and improvement elsewhere. Veterinary is a very good example, improving diagnostics, treatment and practise efficiency through applications like image analysis and predictive disease modelling. It will analyse large data sets identifying disease patterns, devise personal treatment plans, and in short revolutionise positive outcomes as much as Joseph Lister did with his discovery of penicillin. Stock management and welfare will also benefit, with facial and pattern recognition technology that can scan individual behaviour and monitor and provide warnings on events such as feeding issues, health concerns or foaling alerts, optimising resource allocation within the farm. Maybe no more long hours of sitting up all night!
The land that delivers our industry product is also set to benefit through precision farming, with resource optimisation providing data-driven decision-making to monitor outputs, allowing a detailed understanding of soil conditions, nutrient deficiencies, local weather and water availability, and usage to deliver sustainable land use and effective soil management. Dr Greengrass will never have had it so good!
In the office it will revolutionise and simplify those end-of-month jobs that are approached with dread, such as automating repetitive tasks like the sales and purchase ledger, bank reconciliations, and quarterly VAT returns, while AI can add to business efficiency by spotting trends, detecting fraud, supporting and enhancing the work of the bookkeeper.
The office administration process will be aided by automating those repetitive tasks, providing reminders and automated responses, creating document drafting and managing calendars, and adding to abilities in managing the team by workforce planning, performance management and ensuring those personnel records are updated.
This just scratches the surface of how, used with knowledge and understanding, AI can add considerably to every business and every breeder. AI is in its relative infancy, but the earlier we start, the more we learn and the better we understand. The TBA will help members as they start upon this journey and to that and, in 2026 an event will be scheduled to focus upon AI and the breeding industry. As always, we are planning ahead.
