How AI Monitors Endangered Species

Animals across the globe are running out of places to live. Populations of vertebrates such as monkeys, fish and birds declined 73% on average between 1970 and 2020, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This post, bylined by yours truly in collaboration with Matt Ball, details how the Map of Life Rapid Assessments (MOLRA) system uses drones, sophisticated sensors, and AI to collect audio, visual, and genetic samples to support detailed species mapping—where plants and animals are likely to be and how those populations are changing.   Together with partners and support from Sony, Esri, the Field Museum, Rutgers University, the Federal University of Amazonas, and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the Yale University Map of Life (MOL) team developed MOLRA for last year’s biodiversity XPRIZE Rainforest competition. The runner-up prize award of $2 million is now being used to fund a spin-off company, Map of Life Solutions.   “As pressures on lands are increasing and climate change accelerates, it is ever more important that we are guided by evidence and quantitative metrics to achieve positive outcomes for biodiversity,” said Walter Jetz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, who also leads the Map of Life project. “And it is critical that we ensure this data reaches the desks of decision-makers and is informed by their needs. This is why we are so excited about Map of Life Solutions offering the full link from new data collection technologies to the custom reporting that organizations require.”   https://lnkd.in/gWj4H9Bx

In 1956, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg discovered that giraffe spot patterns are as unique as fingerprints. Today, that insight powers GIRAFFE—an open-source AI tool built by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and the Wild Nature Institute to help protect Tanzania’s endangered giraffes. 🦒 Identifies individual giraffes with up to 99% accuracy 📸 Processes 1,500+ images in minutes 💻 No coding required 🌍 Adaptable to other species like zebras, tigers, and whale sharks Tanzania’s giraffe population has dropped over 50% in 30 years. Conservationists urgently need better data AI won’t save giraffes alone. But in the hands of scientists, it can help ensure they still have a place to stand. #AIForGood #ConservationTech #GIRAFFE #WildlifeConservation #MicrosoftAI #Biodiversity #Sustainability Learn more: https://lnkd.in/giiXiZ49

Can AI save the endangered snow leopard? 🐾📡 An ambitious new conservation effort in Pakistan is testing artificial intelligence to protect endangered snow leopards and reduce deadly human-wildlife conflict. The project hopes to turn cutting-edge tech into a lifeline for both the big cats and the communities living among them. Solar-powered AI cameras trained on pattern recognition are being deployed to protect one of the world’s most elusive and endangered big cats: the snow leopard. Only 4,000 to 6,000 remain globally. In Pakistan, that number hovers around 300. But this isn’t just about animals. It’s also about people. The same AI that detects leopards is sending real-time alerts to villagers, helping them protect their livestock 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 resorting to violence. While those involved in the camera project are hopeful their AI devices can have an impact, they know they cannot be the sole solution. The WWF tells us legal penalties have served as a strong deterrent in recent years. Three men were jailed in 2020 after killing a snow leopard in Hoper valley and posting images of themselves with the dead animal on social media. In September, they are going to start trialing smells, sounds and lights at the camera sites to try to deter snow leopards from moving onto nearby villages. Time will tell if this ambitious AI project will help save the snow leopards from extinction. #techforgood #AI