Autonomous farming machines are coming. John Deere now sells an autonomous 8R tractor. Various companies offer commercial-sized, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can autonomously apply pesticides. Lely sells robotic milking machines. Some farmers may lament the loss of a person controlling these tasks, but the trend for more automation in farming is clear.
 
Still, there are existing laws that will need to be updated to foster widespread adoption of these new technologies. Here are just a few.
 
OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes worker safety standards that are implemented by state OSHA agencies. For years, California’s OSHA regulations had additional regulations for people working near-autonomous machines that required humans to be nearby with the ability to instantly turn off the machine. Regulations like this can stifle innovation if they do not take autonomy into account. OSHA should revisit its regulations to make sure we are not applying human safety standards to tasks performed without humans.
 
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