SUSTAINBILITY STRATEGIES
Addressing the risks of AI The report acknowledges a number of risks that will have to be addressed in order for AI to benefit nature conservation effectively.
One big problem is that most AI expertise and infrastructure is currently concentrated in a small handful of countries, which could well deepen international inequalities and limit local ownership of conservation projects.
The environmental footprint of AI systems themselves presents another challenge. Data centres currently account for approximately 1.5 % of global electricity use, which is projected to double by 2030 according to the International Energy Agency.
The report also highlights concerns about bias in training data, which could limit AI systems’ ability to identify species in regions outside North America and Europe where most open-access observations originate. “
Stephanie O’ Donnell, Senior Technology Specialist at the World Bank’ s Global Wildlife Program, says:“ Finding the right people and helping them collaborate, build capacity to problem solve and work together is way more important than the technology applications.”
The report estimates that global financing for nature needs to increase by US $ 500bn a year to achieve the world’ s goals on nature and climate, as laid out in the SDGs and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
It is clear, however, that everyone must be on board to build momentum. As Kate says:“ Partnership is key to meeting this opportunity.”
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