It’s harvest time in America’s major apple-producing states, including Washington, New York and Michigan. The Agriculture Department projects the U.S. crop this year will surpass 11 billion pounds—nearly all picked by hand in brisk fall air.

With the rise of technology and artificial intelligence, why not build robots to pick apples, along with other fruits and vegetables? It’s a question that some in President Trump’s circle have raised. In a CNN interview this year, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller was asked about the labor shortage on farms amid deportations. “As for the farmers, there is a guest worker program that President Trump supports,” Mr. Miller replied. “Over time as well, we will transition into automation, so we’ll never have to have this conversation ever again.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also has suggested that automation is part of the solution to the agricultural labor shortage.