India, Sept. 2 -- While sowing, a farmer in India checks an agri-tech app that advises him to delay planting due to an expected dry spell. The advice is based on satellite imagery, historical rainfall data and machine learning models. But the rain arrives earlier and more heavily than predicted. The sowing window is lost, along with the seeds and other resources the farmer has invested. Stories like these are increasingly common as farmers rely on predictive tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to guide agricultural decisions. These technologies are promoted as one-stop solutions to climate uncertainties, stagnant yields and distress in the agriculture sector. Algorithm-based advice is presented as "informed decision-making", influencin...