One of these cows is not like the other.

Instead of hooves, it has wheels. It’s not black or brown—it’s red. It’s not even actually a cow. It’s an AI-powered robot named SwagBot.

But shh. The other kine in the field don’t know that. They just follow the leader. And that’s the whole point.

SwagBot helps herd cattle. It leads cows from one part of the pasture to another. Its wheels can handle rough terrain. The bot first launched in 2016. But it’s received big updates since then. Now it sports sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Researchers say it could become the world’s first “smart cow.”

What makes this “cow” so smart? Its sensors keep track of cow health. They also sense pasture health.

That’s an important feature. If left alone, cows easily overgraze a pasture. They nip grass so closely they pull up the roots. The soil suffers. That makes it harder for plants and animals to thrive.

“You want to move the animals to the right part of the pasture where there is good protein, good carbs,” says Professor Salah Sukkarieh. His team at the University of Australia in Sydney created SwagBot. “You want to be able to do that in a very fluid manner without fences.”

SwagBot uses its AI-powered sensors to lead the cows to nutritious pasture. They follow their robotic leader because of their natural herd behavior. 

 “Once the cattle are used to the robot, they will follow the robot around,” says Professor Sukkarieh.

Australia is one of the biggest beef producers in the world. About 30 million cattle live on the continent. But the land is often dry. Pastures can be poor.

God leads us to good pastures too. Read Psalm 23. He knows what we need. When we follow Him, He provides. 

Why? Used wisely, modern technologies like artificial intelligence may be able to improve on age-old practices like cattle farming.