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AI Use Cases

A collection of over 250 uses for artificial intelligence

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Invasive species management

Introduction

Invasive species management is one of the biggest challenges in the wildlife industry. These pests are a big problem as they are a threat to native species and natural environment. Some of them are also economically dangerous, as they affect agriculture, fisheries and other related sectors. To this end, conservationists and wildlife managers have begun to leverage technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision (CV) in the fight against invasive species. Two of the most promising technologies in this field are AI and CV which have the potential to change the way invasive species are identified and controlled.

Challenges

There are several difficulties which wildlife managers encounter while dealing with invasive species. First, there is the issue of extent. Invasive species can expand to a large extent, thus, it is difficult to determine and control the spread of their range. Second, there is a lack of resources. This is especially a problem with wildlife management organizations as they are constantly struggling to secure enough funding and personnel to deal with other issues let alone invasive species. Finally, there is the problem of accuracy. In order to be successful, the control of invasive species has to be strategic and focused. This calls for knowledge on the species, its activities, and preferences. The traditional approaches of gathering this information include the field surveys and the manual data recording which are tedious and sometimes unreliable.

AI Solutions

There is a way and that is through AI especially CV. CV is the use of algorithms to make sense of visual information. In the case of managing invasive species, it can be applied to detect and monitor the range of invasive species. For instance, it is possible to employ AI to process drone or satellite images and have the machine learn how to detect and outline invasive species while mapping their expansion. This makes it possible to address the issue of invasive species in a much more accurate as well as timely manner. Also, AI can also be applied in forecasting the future spread, which will be a great help in planning and prevention for the wildlife managers. Some of the initiatives that have been made include Microsoft’s AI for Earth and Google’s Wildlife Insights which has been helpful in the conservation efforts.

Benefits

There are a number of ways in which the application of AI and CV can be beneficial in the management of invasive species. First, it enables one to capture better and faster data. This is because AI can process large amount of visual information faster than a human being and with greater precision. This not only helps in saving time but also makes sure that the management actions are taken on the basis of proper information. In addition, AI can function 24/7 while human surveyors cannot. This means that it can track invasive species at all times with the information gathered being relayed in real time with a view of being used in the management process. Also, AI can do all this and much more at a much cheaper cost than the traditional methods. This means that AI can help in cutting down the costs that are usually incurred in invasive species control through data collection and analysis.

Return on Investment

Invasive species management is a process that can highly benefit from the application of artificial intelligence in order to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency. Although AI is capital intensive to set up initially, the costs in terms of time, labor and resources that can be saved quickly add up to the initial investment. In addition, by avoiding or lowering the impact of invasive species, AI can help cut costs for wildlife managers and other related organizations, potentially in the millions. For instance, a research done by the Center for Invasive Species Management revealed that invasive species alone pose an economic burden of over $120 billion annually in the United States. Therefore, through minimizing such costs through the application of AI in invasive species control, the ROI is high.

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