Nuts About AI

When it comes to harnessing AI to save endangered species, it looks like we may be barking up the right tree.

In the UK, developers have created a system called Squirrel Agent, which can differentiate between types of squirrels with 97% accuracy. Not only is the red squirrel population in decline, but they can often be difficult to detect, as not all red squirrels are red in colour. Squirrel Agent is trained on thousands of animal photographs and can identify by tails, ears, weight, size, and colour.

Squirrel Agent is connected to bird feeders which allow access to red squirrels and divert grey squirrels, the dominant population, to other feeders with contraceptive paste. The technology is currently being tested at multiple sites in the UK with the hope of evolving the system in the future to identify individual animals and protect multiple species in danger of extinction.