Google AI roadmap aims to accelerate nature protection and restoration

Google and the World Resources Institute have co-authored a new paper on how to harness AI to support conservation efforts. The paper begins by highlighting successful applications of AI in nature conservation. There are near-real-time monitoring tools that track forests and oceans.

For instance, platforms like Global Fishing Watch scan billions of satellite signals to map human activity at sea and support sustainable fishing. Citizen-science apps such as iNaturalist use AI to identify plants and animals from a photo, turning observations into usable biodiversity data.

New multimodal approaches combine satellite imagery, audio recordings and field notes to help scientists understand whole ecosystems and decide where conservation efforts are needed most.

The report sets out three recommendations to scale the impact AI. First, expand primary biodiversity data and shared infrastructure, collect more images, audio and field observations, and make them accessible through common standards and public repositories.

Second, invest in open, trustworthy models and platforms (for example, Wildlife Insights), with transparent methods, independent testing and governance so results can be reused and audited.

Third, strengthen two-way knowledge exchange between AI developers, practitioners, and indigenous and local communities through co-design, training and funding, ensuring tools match real needs on the ground.

Their message is that AI can act as a force multiplier, but only when paired with on-the-ground capacity, ethical safeguards and long-term funding, enabling communities and conservation agencies to use these tools to protect and restore ecosystems. However, Google has faced scrutiny in the past over meeting its climate goals, including its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2030.

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