Conservationists Turn To AI In Battle To Save Red Squirrels
November 26th, 2024
Via BBC, a look at how conservationists are turning to AI in their battle to save red squirrels: An artificial intelligence (AI) tool which has been trained to tell the difference between grey and red squirrels could be “an absolute game changer”, conservationists say. The system, called Squirrel Agent, has been trained on thousands of […]
Read More »To Reduce Wildlife Deaths Caused by Fences, Scientists Are Turning to AI
August 24th, 2024
Via Science.org, a look at how software trained to identify fences from aerial images could help wildlife managers prevent pronghorn from getting stuck and starving: As many as 1 million kilometers of fence may crisscross the western United States, enough to stretch to the Moon and back. Erected over the past century, largely to contain […]
Read More »Artificial Intelligence Could Soon Turn Anyone into an Expert Tracker
August 13th, 2024
Via Hakai Magazine, a look at how scientists are working on a machine learning tool that could, one day, identify individual animals from photographs of their footprints: Some wild animals are relatively easy to study. Certain penguin populations, for instance, are so unaccustomed to large predators that they barely fear humans and will often wander right up […]
Read More »In Brazil, Tech Is A New Frontier In Battles Over Indigenous Lands
July 25th, 2024
Via Dialogue Earth, a look at how – as illegal miners seek to profit from the Amazon, and NGOs to protect it – high-speed internet, AI and even Flight Simulator are emerging as tools for good and bad: A dirt runway near an illegal mining site in the Yanomami Indigenous territory, Roraima state, Brazil. In […]
Read More »AI, Data Analytics Help Create ‘Smart Rainforest’ in Australia
February 15th, 2024
Via Environment & Energy Leader, an article on the world’s first “smart rainforest,” where artificial intelligence and data is used to advance sustainable and cost-effective environmental restoration models across the globe:
In an era where technological innovation meets environmental stewardship, NTT Group has joined forces with ClimateForce, embarking on an ambitious journey to breathe new life into the Daintree Rainforest.
This partnership is set to unveil what it calls the world’s first “smart rainforest,” using artificial intelligence and data to advance sustainable and cost-effective environmental restoration models across the globe.
Advancing Forest Restoration with Technology
At the heart of this initiative lies the Smart Management Platform (SMP) technology, developed by NTT. This innovative platform is designed to rejuvenate a section of Australia’s Daintree Rainforest, previously compromised by agricultural activities and invasive plant species. The technology’s integration promises not only to regenerate the land but also to safeguard it against future ecological threats.ClimateForce, a point of light in environmental regeneration, has taken up the mantle to restore this section of the rainforest, located adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. With NTT’s support, the project will utilize advanced AI, data analytics, and predictive analytics to evaluate and implement organic reforestation techniques.
This strategic approach aims to protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change effects, and bolster resilient local economies.
A Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future
The collaboration between NTT is a shared vision for sustainable advances and improving biodiversity.
Barney Swan, the CEO and co-founder of ClimateForce, expressed gratitude for the support from NTT and NTT DATA, emphasizing the project’s potential to accelerate their goals and develop replicable models for ecosystem regeneration worldwide.
NTT DATA’s involvement extends beyond technological support, contributing to operational and fundraising efforts. This collaboration was sparked by a previous sponsorship of an expedition advocating for sustainable practices in Antarctica, highlighting the long-standing commitment of both organizations to environmental sustainability.
By using advanced technology and fostering international cooperation with the creation of the smart rainforest in the Daintree, NTT and ClimateForce said they hope to set a precedent for global environmental restoration efforts. This project not only aims to restore an important ecosystem but also to inspire similar initiatives in other areas across the world, according to the organizers.
“NTT DATA met Barney through our sponsorship of his father’s Undaunted: South Pole 2023 expedition, which advocated for sustainable practices and long-term protections for Antarctica,” said Bob Pryor, CEO, NTT DATA Services. “We’re excited to extend this relationship and help ClimateForce with its mission in the tropics, which perfectly aligns with our own vision for realizing a sustainable future.”
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Read More »Decoding Animal Communication with A.I.
January 27th, 2024
Via Aspen Ideas, an interesting podcast on efforts to decode animal communication using A.I.:
Scientists could actually be close to being able to decode animal communication and figure out what animals are saying to each other. And more astonishingly, we might even find ways to talk back. The study of sonic communication in animals is relatively new, and researchers have made a lot of headway over the past few decades with recordings and human analysis. But recent advancements in artificial intelligence are opening doors to parsing animal communication in ways that haven’t been close to possible until now. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival in partnership with Vox’s “Unexplainable” podcast, two experts on animal communication and the digital world come together to explain what may come next.
Tragically, a few months after this conversation was recorded in June, one of the panelists, Karen Bakker, passed away unexpectedly. Bakker was a professor at the University of British Columbia who looked at ways digital tools can address our most pressing problems. She also wrote the book “The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology is Bringing Us Closer to the World of Animals and Plants.” The UBC Geography department wrote of Bakker: “We will remember Karen as multi-faceted and superbly talented in all realms.”
Aza Raskin, the co-founder of the Earth Species Project, a nonprofit trying to decode animal communication using A.I., joined Bakker for this discussion. The host of “Unexplainable,” Noam Hassenfeld, interviewed Bakker and Raskin.
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