stclarke reports on Land O’Lakes and Microsoft forming a strategic partnership to co-develop AI-powered agricultural tools, including the Oz digital assistant, and drive industry transformation through Azure and custom Copilot solutions.

Land O’Lakes and Microsoft Partner to Accelerate AI Innovation in Agriculture

Overview

Land O’Lakes Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced a renewed multiyear alliance focused on agricultural innovation through advanced AI solutions. Building on a five-year relationship, the partnership will deliver AI-powered tools and technology to help farmers optimize yield, reduce costs, and manage risk.

Key Initiatives

  • Co-Developed AI Tools: Launching Oz, a digital assistant leveraging Azure AI Foundry and agricultural data to deliver real-time, customized insights to farmers and retail agronomists.
  • Digital Transformation: Land O’Lakes has migrated over two-thirds of its IT infrastructure to Microsoft Azure and piloted Copilot licenses, enabling widespread adoption of generative AI in daily agricultural operations.
  • Custom Enterprise Copilots: Using Copilot Tuning and proprietary data, Land O’Lakes has tailored enterprise copilots for agriculture-specific recommendations and solutions.

Technology and Solutions

  • Oz Digital Assistant: Provides instant responses and product guidance based on 20+ years of crop protection data, improving decision-making during the growing season.
  • Digital Ag Platform: Enables improved soil health and modern farming practices through cloud-based analytics.
  • Digital Dairy Solution: Employs Microsoft AI for production monitoring and supply chain optimization even in low-connectivity environments.

Industry Impact

This alliance empowers both retail agronomists and farmers, helping them access, analyze, and act on critical farm-level data via secure, scalable Microsoft AI and cloud technologies. The collaboration exemplifies digital transformation at scale within agriculture.

Collaboration Highlights

  • Multiyear, strategic focus on AI-powered transformation
  • Azure as the cloud foundation for innovation
  • Copilot-based tools tailored for agricultural use
  • Ongoing expansion of AI-powered offerings for agriculture

Additional Information

  • Land O’Lakes is a top agribusiness cooperative with over 100 years of history and major food and agriculture operations.
  • Microsoft remains committed to democratizing AI solutions and empowering global organizations.

For press inquiries, contact Microsoft Media Relations or Abby Duininck at Land O’Lakes. Visit the Microsoft Source website for more news.

This post appeared first on “Microsoft News”. Read the entire article here