In the verdant hills of Washington state, Andrew Nelson sits in the cab of his tractor…where he’s on a Zoom call. Meanwhile, his tractor drives itself—and its array of sensors, cameras, and analytic software decides where and when to spray fertilizer or whack weeds.

Nelson, a fifth-generation farmer and software engineer, is at the vanguard of a transformation that’s changing the way we grow and harvest our food.

This week, William Boston reports on the new technologies that are paving the way for farms to run themselves, with minimal human input.

Many modern farms already use GPS-guided tractors and digital technology such as farm-management software systems. But advances in AI now mean that the fully autonomous farm is finally coming into focus.

Tractors that operate with little human supervision are moving from prototype to practice. AI-guided drones and soil-scanning sensors are gathering data to help boost agricultural yields and protect land. And virtual fences are helping ranchers better manage their herds and save money.

Yet although much of the technology to power autonomous agriculture already exists or is nearly ready for market launch, adoption is lowcost is a barrier for many farmers. Connectivity is another hurdle, particularly in rural areas and developing countries where there’s a digital gap.

More on this topic:

• AI is coming to the apple orchard, from pollinating to picking. (Read)
• 🎧 Larry Ellison’s bid to remake farming has been a bust. (Listen)
• It’s a legacy agriculture company—and your newest AI vendor. (Read)

🤔 Do you think new technologies will transform farming? Send me your thoughts, questions and predictions by hitting "reply" to this email.

📰 Enjoying this newsletter? Get more from WSJ and support our journalism by subscribing today with this special offer.

Last week, we spoke with the Grammys chief about his hopes and fears for AI in the record business. Readers shared their thoughts about how AI will affect the way they listen to music:

• “It’s going to be a crazy world of music! Let’s say I ask an AI program to write an original song blending together Led Zeppelin and Metallica, along with a lead singer that is a blend of the voices of Robert Plant and James Hetfield. Assuming it sounds totally unique, should I be able to copyright and sell it…?”—Joseph Subits, Georgia
• “I can tell you exactly how AI will change the music businesses—and it’s an even bigger threat to the entire entertainment industry. As a musician, I use AI every day to write songs and to produce videos and music for our show here in Branson, Mo. Once you can customize movies EXACTLY the way you want them, people won't really want to get off the couch. We are fighting back by taking every one of our shows online and streaming them (soon they will also be in full VR). We sell 5,000 tickets a week, so we have a lot to lose!”—Timothy Haygood, Missouri

(Responses have been condensed and edited.)

• Silicon Valley is pushing to breed super-babies. (The Washington Post)
• California is set to become the first U.S. state to manage power outages with AI. (MIT Technology Review)
• Is AI the future of web browsing? (The New York Times)

Thanks for reading The Future of Everything. We cover the innovation and tech transforming the way we live, work and play. This newsletter was written by Conor Grant. Get in touch with us at future@wsj.com.

See more from The Future of Everything at wsj.com/foe.