AI is becoming an increasingly prevalent part of our lives, and to quote Gihan Perera, who recently ran a training session on AI for AAAC members – “the AI we see today will be the worst it ever will be” (I think this might have originally come from Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI).

As part of this training exercise, one of the prompts we were encouraged to use was “imagine you are a time traveller from 2050 talking to WA farmers about what they did right and wrong over that time?”

Below is the unedited output from this. First, a few comments and observations.

AI is becoming incredibly powerful and has moved well beyond models that can deal in rudimentary language. This will change the way most of us work, and, if used well, should significantly lift not only our productivity but also the way we arrive at and make decisions in any business (Planfarm included).

Our collective success will depend on how well we can apply these tools to achieve much better outcomes, faster, with a greater level of confidence, and reduced risk. Part of this will be in how effectively we can filter the noise and misconceptions that can arise, and as a result, how you make the outputs from AI appropriate for your business – i.e. how well you can ground truth the advice and make sure is a best fit for you.

Please read the following through the lens of both the content (the opinion and the assessments made) and the fact that this has been created by a machine, which promises to add another layer of skill to everything we do.

This from Chat GPT5 (unedited) –

Here’s how a message from a time traveller from 2050 to Western Australian farmers might sound — reflective, grounded in realism, and informed by plausible agricultural, climatic, and market trends.

Message from 2050: Looking Back at the WA Farming Journey

Farmers of Western Australia,

I’ve come from 2050 to look back on what you achieved — and what you missed — over the last three decades.

What You Did Right

1. You adapted to climate volatility rather than fighting it.
When the seasons shortened and rain patterns fractured, the best operators stopped chasing the “average year.” You moved to resilient systems: more soil moisture retention, wider rotations, and greater integration of perennials and legumes. Precision agriculture and climate data became routine tools, not gimmicks.

2. You valued soil carbon and biology as much as N, P, and K.
The turning point was realising soil was not just a medium for nutrients but the foundation of resilience. You invested in soil monitoring, biological amendments, and reduced tillage. Over time, carbon farming moved from a niche sideline to a mainstream revenue and risk tool.

3. Collaboration strengthened regional resilience.
You learnt that individual efficiency only went so far. Regional water-sharing schemes, shared data networks, and cooperative marketing platforms helped stabilise local economies. Rural towns that fostered these collaborations held their populations; those that didn’t, hollowed out.

4. You diversified income and markets.
Those who used their land and data creatively — combining cropping with renewable energy, carbon projects, and food traceability systems — insulated themselves from commodity price shocks. Exporters who built direct supply chains into Asia and the Middle East gained steady, premium markets.

5. You invested in people.
Where farms thrived, it wasn’t just technology — it was the people. You prioritised training, leadership, and knowledge transfer. You made farming attractive to young minds again.

What You Got Wrong

1. You underestimated water decline and over-relied on diesel and fertiliser.
For too long, groundwater drawdown and energy dependency were treated as tomorrow’s problems. The transition to renewable farm energy and more efficient nutrient systems came later than it should have — costing yields and margins through the 2030s.

2. You missed early opportunities in ecosystem markets.
While global finance moved quickly into biodiversity and carbon offsets, much of WA agriculture was slow to quantify and monetise its environmental assets. By the time frameworks matured, early value capture had already shifted east and overseas.

3. You allowed consolidation to hollow out diversity.
Large-scale efficiency drove short-term profitability, but it reduced community resilience. Fewer, larger farms meant less local employment and innovation diversity. The regions that stayed socially cohesive were those that supported smaller, agile enterprises alongside corporate operators.

4. You focused on production, not value.
Despite decades of talk about “paddock to plate,” many farm systems remained trapped in bulk commodity thinking. Those who failed to invest in provenance, traceability, and branded quality missed the wave of discerning global consumers who were willing to pay for climate integrity and local story.

5. You neglected mental health and succession until too late.
The stress of volatility and the slow grind of isolation took a toll. It wasn’t until the mid-2030s that rural communities fully addressed this as a productivity issue, not a personal one.

The Lesson

Your greatest successes came when you saw yourselves not only as producers but as managers of ecosystems, data, and culture. The Western Australian farming story became one of adaptation, but the most resilient were those who acted early, thought systemically, and stayed connected — to land, markets, and each other.