Meet Ida

Open Ended

Would you rather…

Option A: Have a doctor who has 30 years of experience but no computer tools

Option B: Have a doctor who is new but has the latest AI technology to help diagnose you

Write your choice and explain your reasoning in 2-3 sentences. Be ready to share with a partner.

Multiple Choice

1.  Based on paragraph 1, what inference can be made about the Ida system?

• Traditional methods are more accurate than technological devices

• It is difficult to identify sick cows without technological help

• Farmers prefer not to use any monitoring systems for their cows

• All cows show obvious signs when they are sick

Multiple Choice

2.  What can the reader conclude about Mark Rodgers based on paragraph 3?

• He believes technology cannot replace a farmer's experience

• He plans to purchase the Ida system soon for his dairy farm

• He is unable to care for his cows properly without the system

• He thinks all experience farmers should avoid using technology 

Multiple Choice

3. Based on the information presented in this section, what can the reader conclude about attitudes toward AI technology in farming?

• All farmers eagerly accept new technology as a helpful tool in the farms

• There is disagreement among farmers about the value of AI systems

• AI technology has been proven ineffective on farms

• Experienced farmers refuse to consider any technological improvements

Multiple Choice

What main concern does the author introduce about AI on dairy farms?

• Farmers are excited to eliminate all traditional methods because AI fully replaces human judgment.

• Although AI can analyze large amounts of data, some farmers question whether its predictions are better than their own instincts.

• Farmers believe AI is too weak to handle animal-related tasks and prefer to rely only on experience.

• AI is used mainly to speed up milking, but it provides little benefit beyond saving time.

Multiple Choice

4. In paragraph 4, the phrase "mountains of information" means –

• information stored in the mountains

• information that is difficult to climb

• very large amounts of data

• information about mountains

Multiple Choice

5. Based on paragraph 4, what inference can be made about AI technology’s use?

• It is only useful for dairy farmers who can afford the expensive system

• It is designed to make work more efficient across various industries

• It has been used by Americans for many decades in various fields

• It is too complicated for most dairy workers to understand the mountains of information

Multiple Choice

6. In paragraph 5, why does the author describe the dairy farm as "old-fashioned"?

• To show that farming has remained largely unchanged for a long time

• To criticize farmers for being behind the times for a very long time

• To suggest that all dairy farms should be modernized immediately

• To explain why traditional dairy farms are no longer profitable

Multiple Choice

7. What can the reader conclude about Watson based on paragraphs 10 and 11?

• He only works with cows kept in stalls and fed with

• He opposes all expensive and unnecessary modern farming techniques

• He combines traditional free-range methods with modern technology

• He thinks letting cows roam is a waste of time

Multiple Choice

How does the author emphasize the complexity of Ida’s training process?

• By explaining that Ida was programmed only with written descriptions of cows, allowing it to recognize behavior with minimal information.

• By describing how Ida was trained exclusively by veterinarians who taught it to diagnose illnesses.

• By claiming that Ida replaces the need for video or sensor data because it already understands cow instincts.

• By stating that Ida learned from thousands of hours of video and sensor data, and even from Khokhar’s attempt to imitate a cow with a sensor in his pocket.

Multiple Choice

8. Based on paragraph 13, what inference can be made about Khokhar's approach to developing AI technology?

• He relied only on computer programming without real-world experience

• He thought dairy farming was too difficult for technology to monitor and understand

• He used hands-on experience and creative methods to understand cow behavior

• He only used proven effective traditional techniques in dairy farming

Multiple Choice

How does the author convey why farming has become a major focus for technology companies?

• By explaining that farmers are pressuring tech companies to take control of their fields so they no longer have to work outdoors.

• By noting that technology companies see farming as both a chance to address global challenges like food shortages and climate change, and an opportunity to profit from new tools such as robots, driverless tractors, and drones.

• By stating that farming is simple to automate, so companies can easily replace all farmers with machines.

• By suggesting that only small farms are experimenting with technology because large farms cannot afford new devices.

Open Ended

9. How does the use of AI technology in dairy farming create a question about the importance of traditional farming skills? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.