but I have a hard time believing they'll completely replace human drivers on the ground we farm
Probably not. The drivers won't be replaced. Why replace something that's obsolete?
They won't 'drive on the ground' any longer.
I've written about this before. Farming as we know it won't last much longer. It will be replaced by automated food production. At the present moment, using advanced growing techniques. Open air farms are outproduced 100 to one.
Greenhouses are just the start.
Vertical urban farms are a tiny bit more advanced.
Hydroponics, Aquaponics, are being developed now.
(don't forget sea farming)
eventually it will be possible to take the Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen (found in the air) add a few 'micro-nutrients' for taste, synthesize and 3D print our food.
OH..you say...Maybe Someday...but not very soon.
You can't imagine it..
A billion times more advanced in only Thirty years...
BUT WAIT
what about fifty years?
Maybe the real question is how many years will it take an optimist to convince a cynic of the bright days to come? 😉
We've had an interesting discussion and that's all I'm really looking for...
Hope to see you around for another one, but I have to get an article ready for publication and some dinner for me and my favorite dog...
g-night
I'll be here.