How AI could help prevent the next extinction (and you can, too)
If you’ve been keeping up with the news recently, you may have read about the death of the last male northern white rhino. Conservationists view his death as a sign that unsustainable human activities like overpopulation and climate change are driving a new era of mass extinction on a global level. And it isn’t just the rhino – flagship species like the cheetah are disappearing, and with them, the biodiversity that supports us all.
Currently, there are only about 7,000 cheetahs left in the world – down from 100,000 less than a century ago. WildTrack, a nonprofit conservation group, seeks to prevent these powerful cats (among others) from landing on the extinction list – and we are proud to support them in their efforts. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology from SAS, WildTrack works on the ground, identifying and cataloging data from animal footprints, and training neural networks to see what an indigenous tracker sees in each of these unique marks.
Enhancing human conservation efforts
AI solutions are designed to enhance human efforts – not replace them. With deep learning and enough data, a model can be trained to perform human-like tasks such as identifying footprint images and recognizing patterns, but with the added ability to apply these concepts at a much larger scale and more rapid pace. Analytics underpins the entire effort, uncovering insights into species populations that conservationists never had before.
The use of AI is just one way to address conservation issues. Reliable data on a species’ numbers and distribution is fundamental to wildlife conservation, but it’s not easy to collect, particularly for elusive and endangered species. The more we can study the behavior of animals, the better we can help to protect them – and sustain the Earth’s biodiversity that supports us all.
Get involved
Learn more about how SAS is using analytics to help other conservation groups do just that – from protecting birds in the UK and helping World Wildlife Fund improve conservation funding, to preventing tuberculosis in elephants and more.
I believe that curious minds inspire change. With a world of data available to us, we have a world of possibilities to do good with it. See how data is shaping our world for the better – join the data for good movement. Download our GatherIQ app, and join other citizen scientists who want to make a difference.
Global Supply Chain Transformation
5 年Humans are the most relentless predators and are endangering the environment through reckless behaviour. With every species that we lose the prognosis for the human race becomes more dire
Media Analytics Content and Data Strategist, Advanced Analytics, Product Manager
6 年At some point the AI will conclude the best solution is to eradicate or at least sharply reduce the number of humans on the planet. Then what?
In essence, this excellent article underscores the adaptability of #AI in providing keen insights about eliminating the likelihood of cheetahs' extinction, but emphasizes AI can enhance human efforts without replacing workforces in entirety. In the era of #robotic automation, this paramount distinction can make AI less threatening to workforces worldwide. Because the methodologies utilized to preserve cheetahs could be replicated during other species conservation initiatives, thank you for sharing your altruistic advocacy efforts of animal conservation!
Senior Product Marketing Manager
6 年Good on you SAS, love that you are using your experience for animal conservation! What a wonderful company!