Intellectualization of technological systems in agriculture: Industry 4.0

The digital transformation of the agro-industrial sector within the “Industry 4.0” paradigm is impossible without the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Despite the emergence of the “smart farming” approach and the “Agriculture 5.0” concept, the adoption of AI in agriculture remains fragmented due to methodological, technical, and organizational barriers. The study aims to review existing approaches to the intellectualization of agricultural machinery and equipment, evaluating their advantages, practical implementation, and scalability limitations. The authors conducted a bibliometric analysis and preformed terminological mapping of key concepts (“automation,” “digitalization,” “intellectualization”) across Russian and English scientific literature. Using a convergent cognitive-semantic approach, they have examined current intellectualization strategies in the agro-industrial sector. The review identified the main barriers to technology scaling, including the lack of a unified formalized approach to the implementation of intelligent systems; high initial investments, key interest rates, and tax burdens; the lack of unified data standards; the proprietary nature of software solutions from equipment manufacturers; equipment compatibility issues; import dependency; the underdevelopment of domestic IT solutions for the agro-industrial sector; and a shortage of specialists with interdisciplinary competencies. Overcoming these identified barriers will facilitate the successful digital transformation of the sector. A Gartner Hype Cycle model was developed to visualize the development stages of intellectualization technologies in the agro-industrial sector over the next 10 years, highlighting their strategic role in global food security. The study concludes that there is a need for local intellectualization of technological system elements based on agent-based modeling, along with supra-systemic solutions to integrate disparate elements into a unified control loop.