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Live updates: Baltimore bridge collapse RFK Jr. running mate Bird flu 'Diddy' investigation Israel-Hamas war World News An AI robot is spotting sick tulips to slow the spread of disease through Dutch bulb fields Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 1 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer walks near to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 2 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer walks near to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 3 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks ahead of his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 4 of 12 | Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks ahead of his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks next to his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 5 of 12 | Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks next to his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 6 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 7 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed next to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 8 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed next to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 9 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed about Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 10 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed about Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 11 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 12 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More An AI robot is spotting sick tulips to slow the spread of disease through Dutch bulb fields Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 1 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 1 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer walks near to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 2 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer walks near to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 2 of 12 Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer walks near to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 3 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 3 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks ahead of his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 4 of 12 | Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks ahead of his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 4 of 12 Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks ahead of his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks next to his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 5 of 12 | Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks next to his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 5 of 12 Theo van der Voort, a spotter of sick tulips, walks next to his namesake Theo the robot, who works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 6 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 6 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 7 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 7 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed next to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 8 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed next to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 8 of 12 Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed next to Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 9 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 9 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed about Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 10 of 12 | Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed about Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 10 of 12 Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer, is interviewed about Theo the robot, in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. An artificial intelligence robot is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from Dutch tulip fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. The robot is replacing a dwindling number of human "sickness spotters" who patrol bulb fields on the lookout for diseased flowers. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 11 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 11 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 12 of 12 | Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Read More 12 of 12 Theo the robot works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what for a regular farmworker would be backbreaking work checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The boxy robot, named after a former employee at the WAM Pennings flower farm near the Dutch North Sea coast, is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More By MIKE CORDER Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print NOORDWIJKERHOUT, Netherlands (AP) -- Theo works weekdays, weekends and nights and never complains about a sore spine despite performing hour upon hour of what, for a regular farm hand, would be backbreaking labor checking Dutch tulip fields for sick flowers. The boxy robot -- named after a retired employee at the WAM Pennings farm near the Dutch North Sea coast -- is a new high-tech weapon in the battle to root out disease from the bulb fields as they erupt into a riot of springtime color. On a windy spring morning, the robot trundled Tuesday along rows of yellow and red "goudstuk" tulips, checking each plant and, when necessary, killing diseased bulbs to prevent the spread of the tulip-breaking virus. The dead bulbs are removed from healthy ones in a sorting warehouse after they have been harvested. The virus stunts growth and development of plants leading to smaller and weaker flowers. It also weakens the bulb itself, eventually leaving them unable to flower. As part of efforts to tackle the virus, there are 45 robots patrolling tulip fields across the Netherlands as the weather warms up and farmers approach peak season when their bulbs bloom into giant patchworks of color that draws tourists from around the world. READ MORE Country music star Luke Bryan speaks during a bill signing ceremony with Gov. Bill, right, on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The legislation is designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. The signing took place in Robert's Western World, an historic honky tonk in downtown Nashville. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Tennessee just became the first state to protect musicians and other artists against AI FILE - Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., speaks at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 26, 2020. Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, March 21, 2024, and sponsored by Eshoo, and Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will require online platforms to label audio and video generated using artificial intelligence. The bill is the latest legislative proposal to address the privacy, national security and consumer risks raised by the rapidly developing technology. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) New bipartisan bill would require online identification, labeling of AI-generated videos and audio AI fakery is quickly becoming one of the biggest problems confronting us online. With AI deepfakes cropping up almost every day, depicting everyone from Taylor Swift to Donald Trump, it's getting harder to tell what's real from what's not. The following photo-illustrated graphic highlights a few notable areas of an AI-deepfake of Pope Francis. One Tech Tip: How to spot AI-generated deepfake images In the past, this was work carried out by human "sickness spotters," said Allan Visser, a third-generation tulip farmer who is using the robot for the second growing season. "You could also buy a very nice sports car," for the price of the robot, Visser said Tuesday -- its makers say the robot costs 185,000 euros ($200,000). "But I prefer to have the robot because a sports car doesn't take out the sick tulips from our field. Yeah, it is expensive, but there are less and less people who can really see the sick tulips," he added. It's a lot slower than a sports car, rolling on caterpillar tracks through fields at one kilometer per hour (0.6 mph) hunting out the telltale red stripes that form on the leaves of infected flowers. "It has cameras in the front, and it makes thousands of pictures of the tulips. Then it will, determine if the tulip is sick or not by its AI model," Visser explained, calling it "precision agriculture." "The robot has learned to recognize this and to treat it," he added. Erik de Jong of H2L Robotics, the company that makes the robots, says artificial intelligence helps them identify sick flowers and very precise GPS coordinates allows them to pinpoint the flowers that need to be destroyed. "The heart of the machine is the knowledge that we put into the AI model. The knowledge comes from tulip farmers. So we we use the knowledge of the tulip farmers, we combine it into an AI model," he said. Theo van der Voort, who gave his name to the robot at WAM Pennings farm, and who retired after 52 years hunting for sick flowers, is impressed. "It's fantastic," he said. "It sees just as much as I see." ___ Find more of AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/ artificial-intelligence [] The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. 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