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Canada AI project hopes to help reverse mass insect extinction
Canadian researchers are employing AI and camera traps to monitor the rapid decline of insect populations. The project, called Antenna, aims to collect data on insect biodiversity, including undiscovered species, to inform conservation efforts and reverse the alarming extinction rate. The initiative also involves public education through an app that identifies butterfly species.Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet. "Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster," said Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium. The decline is occurring so quickly it can't be properly monitored, making it impossible "to put in place the necessary actions to slow it down," he told AFP. For the Montreal-based project, called Antenna, some of the data collection is happening inside the insectarium under a large transparent dome, where thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises are being studied. Solar-powered camera traps have also been installed in several regions, from the Canadian far north to Panamanian rainforests, snapping photos every 10 seconds of insects attracted to UV lights. Larrivee said innovations like high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and AI models to process data could double the amount of biodiversity information collected over the last 150 years in two to five years. "Even for us, it sounds like science fiction," he said, a grin stretched across his face. Tip of the iceberg Scientists have warned the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age. The drivers of insect species collapse are well understood -- including climate change, habitat loss and pesticides -- but the extent and nature of insect losses have been hard to quantify. Better data should make it possible to create "decision-making tools for governments and environmentalists" to develop conservation policies that help restore biodiversity, Larrivee said. There are an estimated 10 million species of insects, representing half the world's biodiversity, but only a million of those have been documented and studied by scientists. David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute working on the Antenna project, noted that artificial intelligence could help document some of the 90% of insect species that remain undiscovered. "We found that when we went to Panama and tested our sensor systems in the rainforest, within a week, we found 300 new species. And that is just the tip of the iceberg," Rolnick told AFP. Public education At Antenna, testing to advance AI tools is currently focused on moths. With more than 160,000 different species, moths represent a diverse group of insects that are "easy to identify visually" and are low in the food chain, Rolnick explained. "This is the next frontier for biodiversity monitoring," he said. The Montreal project is using an open-source model, aiming to allow anyone to contribute to enriching the platform. Researchers eventually hope to apply their modelling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture. Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational purposes. Visitors can snap pictures of butterflies in a vivarium and use an app to identify the exact species. French tourist Camille Clement sounded a note of caution, saying she supported using AI to protect ecology provided "we use it meticulously." For Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, an umbrella organization for five Montreal museums including the Insectarium: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behaviour."
[2]
Canada AI project hopes to help reverse mass insect extinction
Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet. "Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster," said Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium. The decline is occurring so quickly it can't be properly monitored, making it impossible "to put in place the necessary actions to slow it down," he told AFP. For the Montreal-based project, called Antenna, some of the data collection is happening inside the insectarium under a large transparent dome, where thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises are being studied. Solar-powered camera traps have also been installed in several regions, from the Canadian far north to Panamanian rainforests, snapping photos every 10 seconds of insects attracted to UV lights. Larrivee said innovations like high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and AI models to process data could double the amount of biodiversity information collected over the last 150 years in two to five years. "Even for us, it sounds like science fiction," he said, a grin stretched across his face. 'Tip of iceberg' Scientists have warned the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age. The drivers of insect species collapse are well understood -- including climate change, habitat loss and pesticides -- but the extent and nature of insect losses have been hard to quantify. Better data should make it possible to create "decision-making tools for governments and environmentalists" to develop conservation policies that help restore biodiversity, Larrivee said. There are an estimated 10 million species of insects, representing half the world's biodiversity, but only a million of those have been documented and studied by scientists. David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute working on the Antenna project, noted that artificial intelligence could help document some of the 90 percent of insect species that remain undiscovered. "We found that when we went to Panama and tested our sensor systems in the rainforest, within a week, we found 300 new species. And that is just the tip of the iceberg," Rolnick told AFP. Public education At Antenna, testing to advance AI tools is currently focused on moths. With more than 160,000 different species, moths represent a diverse group of insects that are "easy to identify visually" and are low in the food chain, Rolnick explained. "This is the next frontier for biodiversity monitoring," he said. The Montreal project is using an open source model, aiming to allow anyone to contribute to enriching the platform. Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture. Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational purposes. Visitors can snap pictures of butterflies in a vivarium and use an app to identify the exact species French tourist Camille Clement sounded a note of caution, saying she supported using AI to protect ecology provided "we use it meticulously." For Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, an umbrella organization for five Montreal museums including the Insectarium: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behavior."
[3]
Canada AI project hopes to help reverse mass insect extinction
Montreal (AFP) - Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet. "Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster," said Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium. The decline is occurring so quickly it can't be properly monitored, making it impossible "to put in place the necessary actions to slow it down," he told AFP. For the Montreal-based project, called Antenna, some of the data collection is happening inside the insectarium under a large transparent dome, where thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises are being studied. Solar-powered camera traps have also been installed in several regions, from the Canadian far north to Panamanian rainforests, snapping photos every 10 seconds of insects attracted to UV lights. Larrivee said innovations like high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and AI models to process data could double the amount of biodiversity information collected over the last 150 years in two to five years. "Even for us, it sounds like science fiction," he said, a grin stretched across his face. 'Tip of iceberg' Scientists have warned the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age. The drivers of insect species collapse are well understood -- including climate change, habitat loss and pesticides -- but the extent and nature of insect losses have been hard to quantify. Better data should make it possible to create "decision-making tools for governments and environmentalists" to develop conservation policies that help restore biodiversity, Larrivee said. There are an estimated 10 million species of insects, representing half the world's biodiversity, but only a million of those have been documented and studied by scientists. David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute working on the Antenna project, noted that artificial intelligence could help document some of the 90 percent of insect species that remain undiscovered. "We found that when we went to Panama and tested our sensor systems in the rainforest, within a week, we found 300 new species. And that is just the tip of the iceberg," Rolnick told AFP. Public education At Antenna, testing to advance AI tools is currently focused on moths. With more than 160,000 different species, moths represent a diverse group of insects that are "easy to identify visually" and are low in the food chain, Rolnick explained. "This is the next frontier for biodiversity monitoring," he said. The Montreal project is using an open source model, aiming to allow anyone to contribute to enriching the platform. Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture. Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational purposes. Visitors can snap pictures of butterflies in a vivarium and use an app to identify the exact species French tourist Camille Clement sounded a note of caution, saying she supported using AI to protect ecology provided "we use it meticulously." For Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, an umbrella organization for five Montreal museums including the Insectarium: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behaviour."
[4]
AI comes to the aid of bugs
MONTREAL (AFP) - Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet. "Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster," said Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium. The decline is occurring so quickly it can't be properly monitored, making it impossible "to put in place the necessary actions to slow it down," he told AFP. For the Montreal-based project, called Antenna, some of the data collection is happening inside the insectarium under a large transparent dome, where thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises are being studied. Solar-powered camera traps have also been installed in several regions, from the Canadian far north to Panamanian rainforests, snapping photos every 10 seconds of insects attracted to UV lights. Larrivee said innovations like high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and AI models to process data could double the amount of biodiversity information collected over the last 150 years in two to five years. "Even for us, it sounds like science fiction," he said, a grin stretched across his face. Scientists have warned the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age. The drivers of insect species collapse are well understood -- including climate change, habitat loss and pesticides -- but the extent and nature of insect losses have been hard to quantify. Better data should make it possible to create "decision-making tools for governments and environmentalists" to develop conservation policies that help restore biodiversity, Larrivee said. There are an estimated 10 million species of insects, representing half the world's biodiversity, but only a million of those have been documented and studied by scientists. David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute working on the Antenna project, noted that artificial intelligence could help document some of the 90 percent of insect species that remain undiscovered. "We found that when we went to Panama and tested our sensor systems in the rainforest, within a week, we found 300 new species. And that is just the tip of the iceberg," Rolnick told AFP. At Antenna, testing to advance AI tools is currently focused on moths. With more than 160,000 different species, moths represent a diverse group of insects that are "easy to identify visually" and are low in the food chain, Rolnick explained. "This is the next frontier for biodiversity monitoring," he said. The Montreal project is using an open source model, aiming to allow anyone to contribute to enriching the platform. Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture. Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational purposes. Visitors can snap pictures of butterflies in a vivarium and use an app to identify the exact species French tourist Camille Clement sounded a note of caution, saying she supported using AI to protect ecology provided "we use it meticulously." For Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, an umbrella organization for five Montreal museums including the Insectarium: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behaviour."
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Researchers in Canada are leveraging artificial intelligence to monitor and potentially reverse the rapid decline of insect populations. The project, named Antenna, uses advanced technology to collect and analyze data on insect biodiversity.
In a groundbreaking initiative, Canadian researchers have embarked on an ambitious project called Antenna, utilizing artificial intelligence to monitor and potentially reverse the alarming rate of insect extinction. The project, based in Montreal, aims to revolutionize biodiversity data collection and analysis, offering hope in the face of what scientists warn could be the biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age 1234.
Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium, emphasizes the critical nature of the situation: "Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster" 1. This rapid decline has made it challenging to implement effective conservation measures, as traditional monitoring methods struggle to keep pace with the speed of extinction 2.
The Antenna project employs a multi-faceted approach to data collection:
David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute, highlights the potential of AI in this project:
The Antenna project holds promise for several key areas:
The Montreal Insectarium is leveraging this technology for educational purposes:
While the project shows great promise, some, like French tourist Camille Clement, caution that AI should be used meticulously in ecological protection 1234. Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, emphasizes the importance of understanding nature to drive behavioral change: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behavior" 1234.
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