Introduction/Abstract
Recently artificial intelligence has become a buzzword in almost every industry. Although at first I wasn’t that interested in artificial intelligence, I recently read an article on how researchers and biologists used artificial intelligence to catch poachers by identifying car sounds. Since then, I’ve done more research on how artificial intelligence could be used to help wildlife conservation as well as support education.
How AI works with Wildlife Cameras
One of the biggest uses that I’m interested in regarding AI are wildlife cameras. I have a journal entry talking about my experience creating a wildlife camera here! Wildlife cameras are deployed all over the world equipped with AI technology to identify different species. This work can be incredibly impactful when trying to find endangered species and keep track of populations. With specifically trained AI models, specific species are able to be identified and researchers notified. For example, a camera might be able to identify when urban carnivores, like mountain lions or coyotes, cross into cities. While urban sprawl is a whole other can of worms, technology like this could be used as a tool to discourage unsafe human interactions.
Another way AI has been used has been is to get an estimate on population size of species in the wild. Another advantage of these cameras is that they’re able to be deployed for long periods of time. By using this concept, there is research being done in the Shenandoah National Park that is able to identify specific individuals of trout. These trout have unique spot patterns like fingerprints. An AI model is able to quickly identify these patterns and give researchers more insight on individuals in a population. This system replaces hours of work that would normally be done by humans.
One of the most prominent organizations I have found regarding this was Wildlife Insights. With their software, individuals and organizations are able to implement artificial intelligence in their own wildlife cameras. I am pretty interested in this organization but it’s worth looking at some other ones like Conservation AI or Zamba Cloud. One great aspect of these organizations and their AI models (and AI in general) is that anyone could train the model to specific species. This means getting familiar with your own native wildlife!
How AI Audio Monitoring Protects Rainforests
One other way that AI is being used is by monitoring audio, specifically to alert rangers of poaching and illegal logging activity. Similar to wildlife cameras, small microphones are deployed in an area and are able to identify certain noises to help researchers. At first, I didn’t see the advantage of using audio vs video but I quickly learned just how valuable audio data is. Rainforest Connection is an organization using auditory monitoring systems to make a big impact on conservation.
The Rainforest Connection has two main divisions. The first, a platform named Arbimon, involves audio that monitors and identifies sounds from animals nearby giving a picture of how biodiverse an area is. According to their website, they have detected and identified over 4,000 different species, many of those species which are threatened. The second platform they have is called the Guardian Platform. With this, they are able to detect audio associated with poaching or logging like chainsaws. By alerting local authorities quickly, Rainforest Connection serves as an early alert system for many of these illegal activities. Similar to the cameras, these monitors are able to stay up 24/7. This is a huge benefit to the field of conservation by giving us a better idea of where to focus our resources. It’s impossible for a ranger or local authority to be everywhere, all at once. However with this, interventions can be quick and precise.
Downsides and Risks to AI in Wildlife Conservation
It would be irresponsible of me to not discuss the downsides of AI. One of the biggest discussion points of using AI is the high energy and resource costs. Not only do these monitors need a reliable source of energy, the AI models often require a lot of electricity, computational power, and water to train. All of these, ironically, contribute to a lot of environmental issues. I am by no means an expert on this however, I do think that by being selective on how AI is used and what it’s trained on, there can be a positive impact on wildlife conservation.
Another huge risk of using AI tools to quickly and accurately identify species is if it is used by poachers. Let’s say I deployed a wildlife camera to identify elephants in an area. Poachers may be able to use the same data I’m using to monitor elephants to quickly find exactly where those elephants are, where they may be migrating to, or how many elephants there are. Unfortunately these issues of security are still a serious concern.
Implementing AI in Wildlife Education
As an educator, I’m always trying to find ways to use new tools to inspire and educate the next generation. AI is a great way to involve a huge population of people. Many people think that only biologists or scientists have the most impactful roles in conservation. However with tools like AI becoming a larger part in the field of conservation, it’s clear that conservation can include computer science and technology. Taking this a step further, it doesn’t matter what background or skills you might have, there is a way for everyone can contribute to the field of conservation.
Some of the activities that quickly come to mind when thinking of AI is getting students involved with the process of training the AI model. Many of these AI models may identify an animal but not the species. They often need human review of animals and species. I can also see students heavily involved with computer science being excited to contribute to projects like these. Although I have said time and time again that technology is not my strong suit, I know that a lot of these programs have the opportunity for people to uniquely contribute. If I had the opportunity, I would love to see the different ideas that this technology could be implemented in ways I couldn’t even imagine.
My Next Steps
After doing so much research, I am ready to jump into the deep end with this type of technology. Although I still think that using AI (given all its environmental issues) might not be a great tool for widespread implementation, I think one AI monitor can go a long way. I’m currently in the process of moving states but I would love to set up a wildlife camera that is able to identify the species of animals that it finds. If I could connect it to this website and let others see and learn about the effect of AI, it could be pretty impactful.
My current plan is to try and create this camera using a Raspberry Pi, the same type of single board computer that I have for my ant cam. Ideally, I would be able to install the same motioneye software along with an AI model to identify wildlife. In theory, I could also power it with rechargeable batteries and a solar panel to have it run 24/7. I already have a ton of questions and barriers that I plan on tackling in the future but I would love to have a database on this website in the near future!
Conclusion
It’s pretty clear that artificial intelligence has quite a ways to got in regards to widespread use. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t start being used now to make some pretty powerful impacts. With so many organizations using AI to make such a positive impact, it makes me excited to see what other ways we are able to utilize AI. There is so much work to be done in wildlife conservation and I believe AI is able to cut a lot of the tedious work out so that researchers may be able to focus on what is important.
References and Further Research
Hehmeyer, A. (2024, May 14). How artificial intelligence buys valuable time to protect … World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/how-artificial-intelligence-buys-valuable-time-to-protect-wildlife
McMahon, K. (2025, April 22). How ai is reshaping wildlife conservation – for better or worse. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/653322/ai-wildlife-conservation
Thompson, T. (2024, February 20). How AI can help save Endangered Species. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-ai-can-help-save-endangered-species/
Vietze, A. (2024, March 28). Artificial Intelligence is watching wildlife. National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2024/Spring/Conservation/Artificial-Intelligence-Wildlife-Conservation
Wildlife Insights https://www.wildlifeinsights.org/
Rainforest Connection https://rfcx.org/
Conservation AI https://www.conservationai.co.uk/
Zamba Cloud https://www.zambacloud.com/
