Earth is experiencing the sixth great extinction, with one in eight species expected to vanish within decades. Agriculture, which uses 70 percent of the world’s freshwater, 40 percent of habitable land, and millions of tons of pesticides annually is a leading driver of that loss.
Now, as farmers turn to regenerative farming practices that foster biodiversity and build soil health, researchers and startups are developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help them measure the effectiveness of their practices. Bioacoustic tools can identify and track the sounds of beneficial birds, bats, and bees, and computer vision technologies identify beneficial insects as well as pests.
Using AI, with its huge environmental footprint, to monitor and conserve biodiversity may seem like a headscratcher. But some proponents of biodiversity-measuring technology say the tools now being deployed have a lighter impact—though no lifecycle analyses have been conducted to confirm this.
Moreover, they point out that AI is already instrumental in the fight to save the Earth’s biodiversity. AI technologies linked with satellite data like Global Fishing Watch, which monitors seafood harvesting, and Global Forest Watch, which reveals deforestation in real time, help protect fisheries and forests from illegal activities. AI-enabled camera traps, which snap pictures when an animal comes into view, help monitor endangered species on the ground.
