SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
For technology giants like Google, the hope is that AI can be part of the solution – from goal-setting to action-taking.
“ From the air we breathe to the food we eat, a healthy planet matters to every single one of us,” says Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google.“ For over 10 years, Google and the World Resources Institute have used the latest technology to protect our planet. But we need to do more, faster.”
Current applications showing promise The report points to a few initiatives that are already showcasing best practice when it comes to the use of AI in conservation work.
Wildlife Insights, an initiative developed by Google and a group of conservation organisations, has created the world’ s largest publicly accessible database of camera trap images – 253 million images of 4,292 species, across 112 countries.
This library of photos documents the candid behaviour of flora and fauna in their natural habitats, meaning they can be studied with a great deal of accuracy.
Another initiative is the Global Fishing Watch, a project that uses AI to analyse the movement of ships. Through this programme, experts are able to identify potential illegal activity like fishing in protected areas.
In 2024, authorities in Chile used the platform to enforce the closure of some toothfish fisheries after spotting illegal activity at the sites. This led to fines for 21 vessels and, ultimately, improved levels of compliance.
WILDLIFE INSIGHTS
Wildlife Insights is a platform that Google launched in 2019. It uses AI to help conservationists analyse camera trap images. The system can process 3.6 million photos hourly, which is up to 3,000 times faster than humans. Wildlife Insights is home to the world’ s largest publicly accessible collection of wildlife camera trap photos, meaning that researchers and enthusiasts the world over can collaborate and peruse the library as they wish.
82 February 2026