How AI Can Help Save the Natural World, with MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery

Finches, zebras, Darwin... and AI? Two centuries after Darwin
explored the Galápagos, artificial intelligence is transforming how
we study and protect the natural world, rapidly expanding what’s
possible in biodiversity and ecology research. In this episode, MIT
CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery explains how AI is unlocking
new possibilities in conservation, from identifying endangered
species to analyzing ecosystem health at scale. AI can help
biologists collect, process, and interpret enormous volumes of
data, unlocking patterns and offering insights that were simply not
possible without modern technology. Beery shares her journey, from
tagging snow leopards in college to leading global research at the
intersection of computer vision and ecology. But she sounds a note
of caution: AI has no values of its own and must be paired with
human values to tackle the complex tradeoffs behind biodiversity
decisions. As these tools become more powerful, it’s up to us to
decide how they’re used, and what (or who) we prioritize. Topics
include: Using AI to analyze millions of wildlife images Why
computer vision is revolutionizing species identification The
ethical dilemmas behind conservation decisions How researchers are
using AI to inform policy and protect ecosystems Learn more about
Professor Beery: Website: https://beerys.github.io/ or her CSAIL
page https://www.csail.mit.edu/person/sara-beery Connect with CSAIL
Alliances: On our site:
https://cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On X:
https://x.com/csail_alliances On LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MITCSAIL #AI #Conservation
#Biology #Technology #CSAILPodcast