Canadian researchers will use AI or artificial intelligence technology to prevent the extinction of insects. Using this technology, researchers will gather information that will help prevent species extinction and preserve the Earth's biodiversity.
Maxime Larivie, director of Canada's Montreal Insectarium, said, 'Of the species extinctions we've experienced in the past, insect extinctions are happening a thousand times faster. It is happening so fast that it cannot be observed properly. As a result, it is not possible to take necessary measures to stop it.
Canada has launched a project called ANTENNA to get data for this. These data are collected from a large transparent dome inside the insectarium. Thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises (a type of moth) are being studied inside this dome.
Solar-powered cameras have been installed in areas ranging from northern Canada to the rainforests of Panama. It can take pictures of insects attracted to UV light every 10 seconds.
Innovations such as high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) models to process data will collect biodiversity data, Maxim Larivie said. Through these, the data collected in the next two to five years will double the amount of data collected in the last 150 years.
“It seems like science fiction to us too,” he said.
Scientists have warned that Earth is facing the biggest extinction event since the age of the dinosaurs.
The causes of extinction of insect species are well understood in various studies. These include climate change, habitat loss and pesticides. However, this has made it difficult to measure the extent and nature of insect extinctions.
Larivie said the improved data would help governments and environmentalists “make decisions” and develop conservation policies that support biodiversity recovery.
There are estimated to be about 10 million insect species in the world, representing half of the world's biodiversity. However, only one million species have been listed by scientists.
David Rolnik, a biodiversity expert at the Quebec AI Institute, is working on the Antenna project. He said artificial intelligence (AI) could help catalog the 90 percent of insect species, which are yet to be discovered.
“We tested the sensor system in a rain forest in Panama,” Rolnick said. At that time, 300 new species were discovered in a week, and this is only a small fraction.
The antenna project is currently being tested on moths to improve its artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Moths are a diverse group of insects, with more than 1.6 million species. They are 'easy on the eye' and are low on the food chain.
The Montreal Project is using an open source model. This model is used so that anyone can contribute to the improvement of this platform.
The researchers hope the model will help identify new species in the deep sea and species harmful to agriculture.
Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational programs. Visitors can photograph butterflies in a live exhibit and identify the correct species using an app.
Source: Japan Today
