Bites and Bytes Podcast How AI, Data, and Digital Agronomy Will Reshape Our Food Systems with Serg Masis
In this episode, Kristin King sits down with Serg Masis, a data scientist at Syngenta, to explore how AI, data, and digital agronomy are reshaping modern agriculture (Agronomy is the science of how crops are grown—soil, climate, plants, and farming practices working together).
Serg brings an engineering mindset to AI, explaining it less like science fiction and more like a murder mystery, where multiple perspectives, incomplete information, and interpretation matter just as much as the data itself. Rather than treating AI as a black box, he breaks down how understanding why a system makes a decision is just as important as the decision itself.
Together, they talk about decision-making in farming,unintended consequences in complex systems, and why changing one thing in agriculture often creates ripple effects elsewhere. If you’re curious about how technology is quietly influencing what we grow, how we farm, and what ends up on our plates, this conversation will change the way you think about food and data.
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Guest Contact Information
Guest Info — Serg Masis
Website: https://www.serg.ai/#about-me
Books & Writing: https://www.serg.ai/writing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smasis/
Employer (Syngenta): https://www.syngenta.com/
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Episode Key Highlights
00:11:00 — Why AI Is About Better Decision-Making, Not Replacing Humans
00:13:19 — The Three Inputs of Agriculture: Environment, Genetics, and Decisions
00:17:20 — Sustainability, Ecosystems, and Runaway Effects in Farming
00:25:33 — AI as a Murder Mystery: Interpretation, Bias, and Perspective
00:34:26 — Crop Collapse, Monocultures, and Why This Isn’t Science Fiction
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🛡️ About AnzenSage & AnzenOT
AnzenSage is a cybersecurity advisory firm specializing in security resilience for the food, agriculture, zoo, and aquarium industries. AnzenSage offers practical, strategic guidance to help organizations anticipate risks and build resilience. Learn more about their offerings at anzensage.com.
AnzenOT: Industrial Cyber Risk — Simple. Smart. Swift.
AnzenOT is the SaaS risk management platform built to bring clarity and control to Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity. Designed for critical infrastructure sectors, AnzenOT translates technical risk into clear, actionable insight for decision-makers. Explore the platform at anzenot.com.For demo requests or inquiries, email stuart@anzenot.comor kristin@anzenot.com