AI in Agribusiness: Why Salespeople Might Just Be the Last Humans Standing

There has been a lot of talk lately about artificial intelligence (AI) and what it means for work. Some of it sounds like science fiction, and some of it feels uncomfortably close to reality. In agribusiness, the conversation is often focused on data-driven farming, automated supply chains, and predictive analytics. These are not future scenarios anymore—they are already here. From satellite monitoring of fields to algorithmic pricing in commodity markets, AI is weaving its way through the value chain.

But what does this mean for the people working in agribusiness companies—those involved in logistics, finance, marketing, production, management? According to some of the sharpest voices in the tech world, the list of endangered jobs is growing rapidly. Former Google executive Mo Gawdat has said that the belief AI will “create new jobs” to replace those it eliminates is “100% crap”. He goes further, suggesting that even CEOs are not safe, because decision-making and strategy can be codified faster than we think. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI”, has sounded repeated warnings that white-collar, knowledge-based roles are precisely the ones most exposed. Paralegals, call-centre staff, junior managers—roles built on processing information rather than building relationships—could vanish as quickly as horse-drawn carts once did.

So, is anyone safe? Oddly enough, the answer seems to be: salespeople.

Why sales is different

At first glance, sales might look like just another process that could be digitised. After all, e-commerce platforms already connect suppliers and buyers automatically. Customer relationship management systems (CRMs) capture data on clients, and marketing automation tools send personalised emails at scale. But when it comes to complex, high-value B2B and B2F agribusiness transactions, the human factor remains stubbornly indispensable.

Sales in this sector is not just about convincing someone to buy. It is about navigating the technical detail of fertiliser blends, animal nutrition, or crop input compatibility. It is about standing in a field with a farmer who has just had a season ruined by drought and offering not sympathy alone, but credible solutions for recovery. It is about working with a processor to understand the sustainability requirements of a supermarket supply chain and aligning them with growers’ realities. These interactions require empathy, trust, and judgement.

AI can crunch climate risk models, predict supply disruptions, and flag regulatory changes. But it cannot yet look a farmer in the eye, understand the context of their reality, and build the trust that leads to long-term business relationships. That is why, in a world where many roles may become automated, sales retains a uniquely human quality.

The bigger challenges at play

Agribusiness does not operate in a vacuum. Climate change, shifting regulations, and sustainability demands are reshaping how business is done. Consider just three pressure points:

• Climate risk: Increasingly volatile weather patterns make yield predictions uncertain. Farmers and processors alike must navigate more frequent droughts, floods, and heat stress. AI can model scenarios and suggest insurance options, but only humans can help frame these realities within trusted, personal relationships.
• Supply chains: Geopolitical shocks, pandemics, and logistical bottlenecks have made the security of supply chains a boardroom issue. AI tools are superb at forecasting and optimising logistics, but when things go wrong, it is often a sales professional who manages the human side—keeping the client engaged, offering workarounds, and maintaining confidence.
• Sustainability: From carbon footprints to deforestation-free sourcing, the sustainability agenda is not optional anymore. AI can track compliance and generate reports. But salespeople remain essential in translating these frameworks into credible value propositions for customers who are often balancing ideal goals with on-the-ground realities.

Everyone else might be replaceable

It is a provocative thought, but perhaps not an unrealistic one: many of the roles we currently consider essential in agribusiness companies—finance, HR, operations, even the CEO’s office—may become increasingly automated. Strategy documents can be drafted by algorithms. Financial forecasting can be generated more accurately by AI than by teams of analysts. Even leadership “vision” can be simulated, as we are already seeing with AI-generated speeches and reports.

If this sounds extreme, remember that Geoffrey Hinton himself has said that only a handful of professions will remain resilient against AI, and that most office-based knowledge work is at risk. His advice, tongue only half in cheek, is that if you are not a plumber, you might want to consider becoming one.

But sales resists this tide for one simple reason: it is human at its core. While AI can generate leads, structure pricing, and analyse markets, it cannot replicate the mix of empathy, intuition, and trust-building that defines successful agribusiness sales.

What this means for agribusiness organisations

The implication is not that companies should ignore AI—far from it. AI will become central to every aspect of agribusiness, from precision farming to logistics optimisation. But it does mean that organisations should think carefully about how they structure themselves for the future. The real investment may not be in growing departments that can be automated away, but in strengthening the sales culture across the business.

In other words, the old saying that “everyone is in sales” becomes more than a cliché. If AI replaces many traditional functions, then every department—from R&D to production to compliance—will need to adopt a customer-centric mindset. Understanding the client’s reality, articulating a clear value proposition, and providing solutions rather than just products or services will not be confined to the sales team. It will be the mindset of the entire organisation.

Trying a conclusion

So, will AI really make everyone in agribusiness redundant except the salespeople? Probably not quite that dramatically. But the direction is clear: routine roles will become increasingly automated, while human energy will concentrate around those functions where empathy, trust, and relationships still matter.

It is ironic, in a way. For years, sales has been the misunderstood cousin of corporate functions—sometimes undervalued, sometimes caricatured. But in the age of AI, it may just prove to be the most resilient profession in the sector. CEOs might one day be algorithms in suits, but the salesperson in muddy boots, speaking with empathy to a farmer under pressure—that role will endure.

And perhaps that is the real lesson here: as technology accelerates, the most human qualities—empathy, trust, and care for others—become not less valuable, but more so.