Could artificial intelligence put animals in peril? Experts warn that the developing industry could be detrimental to both domesticated species and wildlife, and they argue governments worldwide should take action to help protect their futures.
What's happening?
As detailed by The Conversation, industry experts estimate that the burgeoning AI sector will increasingly become entwined with the animal world.
Now, critics are warning that numerous pitfalls lie ahead. They fear AI will make it easier for poachers and illegal wildlife traders to capture or hunt endangered species.
Furthermore, they suggest that it could introduce bias, promoting animals as solely commodities to be consumed, and point out that AI algorithms generally promote salacious videos. This opens the door for more clips depicting animal cruelty to circulate.
The report also highlights various projects that have the potential to go awry. Australia, for example, announced in September that it intends to use AI as part of a plan to kill invasive feral cats. After a trap equipped with AI determines a cat is feral, it will spray it with toxic gel.
While the potential solution sounds promising, critics point out that AI has problems accurately identifying many animals, potentially opening the door for endangered native species to be killed instead. According to The Conversation, AI is biased toward North American species because that's where most of its data and training comes from.
Why is this important?
As AI becomes more and more a part of our lives, governments are beginning to take action to ensure the technology doesn't increase harm. As The Conversation explains, though, most of the policies are focused on protecting humans.
Animal advocates argue that new legislation surrounding AI must take the natural world into account. According to the World Wildlife Fund, experts believe that a sixth mass extinction is underway. Unlike previous events, this one is mostly driven by human activities — including mismanagement of land and the burning of dirty fuels, which has warmed the planet.
What can be done to protect animals from AI?
Even though challenges lie ahead, the animal world could ultimately benefit from AI. For instance, researchers in the United Kingdom are using the technology to monitor vulnerable hedgehog populations, and the data could lead to solutions to better support the creatures.
Proponents of the technology have also suggested it could lead to more accurate X-ray readings at veterinary clinics, increased understanding of animal communication patterns, and ideal habitat identification for birds (which may help protect biodiversity), per The Conversation.
According to the report, some governments have also realized they need to further protect animals from the influence of the internet and related emerging technologies.
The European Union's AI Act acknowledges the importance of environmental protections, including the monitoring and minimization of harmful pollution associated with AI operations, while the U.K. requires social media platforms to actively track and remove animal cruelty content.
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