Microsoft teamed up with Indigenous traditional owners in Kakadu, using AI and drones to rehabilitate parts of the national park

Microsoft is blending Indigenous knowledge with AI to protect parts of Kakadu National Park. The tech behemoth partnered with the CSIRO and Indigenous rangers at the World Heritage-listed park to restore native wildlife using artificial intelligence (AI). Located in the Northern Territory, Kakadu is jointly managed by Parks Australia and traditional Indigenous owners. Its wetlands are home to protected Australian species such as magpie geese, which are considered by traditional custodians as a major indicator of'healthy country'. But the introduction of a weed called para grass has seen the reduction of native plants and has removed habitats for the magpie geese. Michael Douglas, leader of NESP Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub, explained that para grass was planted in the area during the late 1960s before Kakadu was a national park, used as buffalo and cattle feed.