Will extension agents be replaced by AI?
Updated
Extension agents score 46 out of 100 for AI exposure. AI helps with 44% of their task time, and they stay in charge. AI can do another 23%. 33% needs a person.
- 23% AI can do it
- 44% AI helps
- 33% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 65% of the 923 jobs we scored.
Task by task
We graded 15 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 3 of them, helps with 7 and leaves 5 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Research information requested by farmers. LLMs answer most research questions quickly; staff verify sources. | 72% AI can do it |
| Maintain records of services provided and the effects of advice given. Record keeping is routine digital work AI can largely handle. | 72% AI can do it |
| Prepare and distribute leaflets, pamphlets, and visual aids for educational and informational purposes. AI drafts and designs leaflet content; staff approve and distribute. | 65% AI can do it |
| Conduct agricultural research, analyze data, and prepare research reports. AI speeds literature review and drafting; researchers lead analysis. | 60% AI helps |
| Collect and evaluate data to determine community program needs. AI analyzes survey data; judging community needs stays with staff. | 50% AI helps |
| Set and monitor production targets. AI models target scenarios; local judgment sets final goals. | 40% AI helps |
| Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques. AI drafts lecture content; delivering classes in person stays human. | 38% AI helps |
| Collaborate with social service and health care professionals to advise individuals and families on home management practices, such as budget planning, meal preparation, and time management. AI drafts budgets and meal plans; family counseling stays personal. | 35% AI helps |
| Advise farmers and demonstrate techniques in areas such as feeding and health maintenance of livestock, growing and harvesting practices, and financial planning. Hands on livestock demos stay human; planning advice augmentable. | 33% AI helps |
| Schedule and make regular visits to farmers. Scheduling automates easily; farm visits themselves stay human. | 30% AI helps |
Show the other 5 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Collaborate with producers to diagnose and prevent management and production problems. Diagnosis needs farm visits and live dialogue with producers. | 20% Needs a person |
| Act as an advocate for farmers or farmers' groups. Advocacy rests on trust and relationships; AI helps drafting only. | 18% Needs a person |
| Provide direct assistance to farmers by performing activities such as purchasing or selling products and supplies, supervising properties, and collecting soil and herbage samples for testing. Physical sampling and supervision dominate; some purchasing admin automatable. | 18% Needs a person |
| Organize, advise, and participate in community activities and organizations, such as county and state fair events and 4-H Clubs. Fair and 4-H events are in person and relationship driven. | 12% Needs a person |
| Conduct field demonstrations of new products, techniques, or services. Field demonstrations are physical work done in person with growers. | 8% Needs a person |
How extension agents compare
All jobs (923)
Educational instruction and library (62)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $60,220 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 8,220 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -3.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run field demonstrations of new techniques with growers in person
- Collect soil and herbage samples during on-site farm visits
- Diagnose production problems through live dialogue at farm visits
- Verify AI-drafted research answers against university extension bulletins
- Build program outcome dashboards in Microsoft Excel
- Map county agriculture data with ESRI ArcGIS software
Safer roles nearby
5 related jobs with lower scores.
Questions about extension agents and AI
Will AI replace extension agents?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly researching farmer questions and maintaining service records. Field demonstrations, farm visits, and advocacy stay with people because they depend on being present with growers and earning their trust.
Which extension agent tasks is AI taking over?
Researching information requested by farmers is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 72, because LLMs answer most questions quickly and staff only verify sources. Maintaining records of services and advice effects also scores 72, since routine digital logs are largely automated. Leaflet and visual aid preparation scores 65.
Which extension agent tasks stay human?
Field demonstrations score 8, the lowest in the job, because they are physical work done in person with growers. Community fair and 4-H events score 12 because they depend on relationships. Diagnosing production problems scores 20 and needs farm visits and live dialogue with producers.
How can extension agents stay valuable?
Keep running on-site diagnosis and soil sampling during farm visits, since those tasks score lowest for exposure. Check every AI research answer against university bulletins before sharing it with farmers. Build outcome dashboards in Microsoft Excel from your program surveys, and map county needs in ArcGIS. Spend the hours AI frees on 4-H and fair events in person.
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