Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025 : Harnessing AI for Efficiency - Transforming Agriculture and Energy Sectors : Case Study 2

Overview & Synopsis

This case study, which complements the Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025, assesses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the agricultural and energy sectors, exemplifying AI applications and evaluating the main drivers of and barriers to AI adoption. The agriculture and energy sectors stand at the nexus of sustainability and economic development, making them ideal candidates for exploring the transformative potential of AI. This case study provides a series of insights to make AI adoption more inclusive, especially in developing countries, where the diffusion of AI is often hindered by systemic issues such as inadequate digital infrastructure, a dearth of data, limited digital skills, weak institutional frameworks, and insufficient regulatory mechanisms. The report presents an overview of AI applications in the agriculture and energy sectors, which are real-world examples of how AI is being leveraged to address sector-specific challenges. By analyzing these examples, this case study identifies the early impact of AI, as well as common and sector-specific barriers to AI adoption, offering actionable insights for policy makers and practitioners aiming to harness AI for sustainable development. In the energy sector, regulatory uncertainty and the high costs of upgrading legacy infrastructure hinder the deployment of AI solutions.