From the air we breathe to the food we eat, a healthy planet is important to each and every one of us.
For over 10 years, Google and the World Resources Institute have worked together to protect vital ecosystems. Through initiatives like Global Forest Watch – a free, near-real-time monitoring system for the world’s forests – we’ve helped governments, businesses and communities use advanced technologies to protect and restore nature around the world.
But we also know that the global nature crisis requires us to do more, faster. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that wild animal populations have declined by 73% since 1970, and the World Economic Forum ranks biodiversity loss as one of the greatest risks to global stability over the next ten years. We must accelerate action by overcoming a number of systemic barriers that impede progress, from a lack of timely data to the high cost of monitoring remote ecosystems.
AI offers a powerful new tool to break through these old roadblocks, and today we are pleased to publish a new paper that offers a roadmap for the responsible use of AI to support thriving ecosystems and communities.
Three ways AI is already unlocking solutions
AI’s unique superpower is processing vast amounts of information and identifying patterns invisible to the human eye. These capabilities hold the potential to make conservation and restoration more accessible, affordable and effective for all.
At the same time, AI must be managed and developed responsibly. We do this in accordance with Google’s AI principles to reduce risks, including increased resource demands, and maximize positive outcomes for nature.
So how does AI work for nature in the real world? Through dozens of interviews with experts and analysis of case studies from around the globe, we found that AI is already helping to break down three of the biggest barriers in conservation:
- Get a real-time view of our planet: It’s hard to protect what you can’t see. AI is helping us monitor the health of our planet on a scale previously unimaginable. Platforms like Global Fishing Watch use artificial intelligence to scan billions of satellite signals, enabling sustainable fishing for generations and mapping all human activity at sea.
- Putting natural knowledge in everyone’s hands: For too long, critical environmental data has been stuck in laboratories and spreadsheets. AI is changing that. With the snap of a photo, apps like iNaturalist use artificial intelligence to help identify plants and animals, turning anyone with a smartphone into a social scientist.
- Connecting the dots on a complex planet: Nature is a puzzle with millions of interconnected pieces. AI helps us see the bigger picture. It can now combine satellite images, audio recordings and field notes all at once to help scientists understand entire ecosystems and determine where conservation efforts are most needed.
Three recommendations to speed up nature conservation with artificial intelligence
While AI is already showing exciting impact, its potential can be unlocked even more.
Our report offers a strategy for creating positive feedback loops between AI development and nature conservation, based on 3 core recommendations:
- Speed ​​up data collection: Significantly expand the collection of primary biodiversity data and build accessible data infrastructure to ensure that this information is a global public good. From images of animals to species tracking to audio recordings to habitat monitoring, increasingly available data is key to impact.
- Create accessible models: Prioritize investment in open, transparent AI systems that can rapidly fill important gaps in monitoring and conservation of species and ecosystems. Open-access platforms like Wildlife Insights help build trust and enable collaboration.
- Capacity and knowledge sharing: Foster a two-way exchange between AI developers and practitioners on the ground, indigenous and local communities to ensure the tools we build are sustainable, ethical and effective
The road ahead
AI provides powerful new tools, and we are excited about their potential. But it is the partnership between technology and human passion that will unlock truly transformative change.
By putting AI tools in the hands of communities on the front lines of conservation, we can create a future where both people and nature thrive.
To learn more, read the full report and explore our AI-powered query tool.