Could facial recognition technology help control disease outbreaks in cattle? USDA and animal agtech startup MyAnIML say yes. MyAnIML uses proprietary facial recognition and deep learning technology to accurately predict Infections of Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), or pinkeye, 99.4% of the time and several days before veterinarians can detect symptoms. Published study results demonstrate how powerful AI-powered technology can be.

USDA molecular biologist Mike Clawson says the tool can help ensure a “safe, resilient and sustainable U.S. food supply chain.” Initial studies of 870 beef cattle on three different Kansas ranches in the summers of 2021 and 2022 leveraged the technology’s patent-pending method of using facial recognition and GoPro cameras to capture and analyze subtle changes in a cow’s muzzle.

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