illustration by Fanny Luor
illustration by Fanny Luor

Work Culture

AI is listening to the forests. It could be a lifeline for species at risk.

By

Published on March 29, 2024

Machine learning in the field of eco-acoustics is allowing scientists to catalog wildlife where they otherwise couldn’t. Here’s how it could change conservation.

Bourhan Yassin
Bourhan Yassin. Image courtesy Rainforest Connection

“Without AI, there's no way you could do this at scale.”—Bourhan Yassin

Installing a listening device.
Installing a listening device. Image courtesy Rainforest Connection

“An AI model can detect the presence of a species...very, very quickly.”

A cream-colored woodpecker
A cream-colored woodpecker identified in Brazil. Image courtesy Rainforest Connection

“[They're] bringing biodiversity back by taking the right measures based on the data.”

Arbimon
Arbimon