Algorithm Aversion in Farmers’ Intention to Use Decision Support Tools in Crop Management

Anna Massfeller, Daniel Hermann, Alexa Leyens and Hugo Storm

No 356629, Agricultural Economics Society 99th Annual Conference, April 14-16, 2025, The University of Bordeaux, France from Agricultural Economics Society (AES)

Abstract: Novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision support tools (DSTs) promise to make pesticide application more efficient. However, the adoption of existing, non-AI, DST by farmers is low, and farmers seem to prefer recommendations from human advisors. Additionally, for medical applications, there is evidence of users’ reluctance against (potentially superior) AI-based recommendations - a phenomenon known as Algorithm Aversion. This study is the first to investigate Algorithm Aversion in the farming context specifically with respect to farmers' intention to use an AI-DST for wheat fungicide application. We conducted a preregistered online survey with a representative sample of German farmers in autumn 2024. The analysis is based on a novel Bayesian probabilistic programming workflow for experimental studies. The approach allows jointly analysing an extended version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) with a willingness-to-pay-experiment. We find that Algorithm Aversion plays an important role in farmers’ decision-making. Our results emphasize the importance of user-friendly tech design, inform extension services on resource allocation, and stress the need for policy to support AI-DST adoption. This is the first study quantifying Algorithm Aversion in farmers’ decision-making. It forms the foundation for future research on the underlying causes of Algorithm Aversion. Additionally, we show how probabilistic programming can improve experimental research.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; Research Methods/Statistical Methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/356629/files/A ... ools%20in%20Crop.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aes025:356629

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.356629

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Agricultural Economics Society 99th Annual Conference, April 14-16, 2025, The University of Bordeaux, France from Agricultural Economics Society (AES) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().