What's happened
The Chelsea Flower Show will debut an AI-assisted garden designed by Tom Massey, in collaboration with Microsoft. This innovative garden will utilize sensors to optimize plant care, addressing climate change challenges while remaining visually appealing and functional for community use. The project aims to demonstrate the benefits of technology in sustainable gardening.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, Tom Massey’s AI-powered garden will allow visitors to interact with the garden, asking questions like, 'How are you?' and receiving responses about its needs. This innovative approach aims to showcase how technology can enhance gardening practices. Meanwhile, The Independent highlights Massey's vision of using AI to save water and improve sustainability, while also noting skepticism from some garden designers about the potential for AI to replace human creativity in garden design. The RHS is also planning to use AI to build a knowledge bank of cultivated plants, further integrating technology into gardening practices.
How we got here
The integration of AI in gardening has gained traction as climate change poses challenges to traditional gardening practices. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is exploring how technology can enhance gardening efficiency and sustainability, leading to the development of the AI-assisted garden for the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show.
More on these topics
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The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London.
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The Royal Horticultural Society, founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
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Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services.
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Montagu Denis Wyatt "Monty" Don OBE is a British horticulturist, broadcaster and writer who is best known as lead presenter of the BBC gardening television series Gardeners' World since 2003.
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Jo Morton Whiley is an English radio DJ and television presenter. She was the host of the long-running weekday later weekend Jo Whiley Show on BBC Radio 1. She now currently presents her weekday evening Radio 2 show.