How artificial intelligence is changing wildlife research

Machine learning will not only usher in the automation of monitoring endangered species from camera trap data but also the automation of spotting poachers, something Morris describes as being right on the cusp of practicality: "You can't put people everywhere but you can put cameras in a lot of places." The potential for computer vision to help the planet encompasses everything from analyzing aerial imagery in arctic and savannah landscapes to monitor large animals to tracking forest recovery and loss from satellite imagery, to even monitoring plastic pollution using AI drones. "Computer vision can offer a lot not just for wildlife conservation applications but also sustainability more broadly," says Morris. "Fundamentally it's really about leveraging AI to save the planet."