While artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly associated with industry, business, and the creative space, it is also subtly but effectively penetrating the sphere that at first glance seems the most “non-technological” – nature conservation. In the wilds of Africa, the Amazon rainforests, and off the coast of Australia, AI is now playing a key role in monitoring, preventing, and protecting species that are at risk of extinction.
Poachers versus algorithms
One of the most serious problems in nature conservation is poaching. While humans often lack the capacity to patrol vast areas of national parks, AI can analyze data from cameras, sound sensors, and even satellites and alert you to suspicious movements in real time. For example, the system PAWS (Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security), developed in collaboration with Stanford, predicts the areas most at risk of poaching based on historical data and helps rangers precisely target their patrols.
Eyes and ears of the jungle
Some projects use machine learning to analyze sounds in the jungle—they can tell when a chainsaw or a rifle shot is heard. Others use AI-controlled drones to track migration routes, animal health, or behavioral changes due to climate change.
From rhinos to turtles
The results are already visible in practice: in Kenya, the number of poaching attacks on rhinos has been significantly reduced thanks to the use of AI systems. In Indonesia, algorithms are helping to map the laying of sea turtle eggs so that conservationists can protect them from predators in time. And in Australia, AI has been deployed to identify koalas in drone footage, which has significantly accelerated the process of counting and locating them after fires.
Technology that brings hope
Contrary to some apocalyptic visions of artificial intelligence, this trend is proof that AI can be a tool not only for efficiency, but also for empathy – if we channel it in the right direction. It’s a reminder that technology is neither good nor bad in itself, but in the right hands, it can literally save lives. Even those that can’t talk.
AI also plays a key role in the digital preservation and restoration of monuments that have been destroyed by war, erosion or time. Algorithms can reconstruct damaged parts with high accuracy, based on historical photographs, plans or similar structures. This creates detailed 3D models that not only preserve the heritage for future generations, but often also allow new knowledge about their original form. An example is the digital reconstruction of the temple in Palmyra, destroyed during the conflict in Syria - scientists were able to accurately reconstruct it thanks to AI and publicly available images from the Internet.
An interesting use of AI has also emerged in the field of predictive archaeology. Based on the analysis of the landscape, topography, historical records and known sites, algorithms can predict where previously undiscovered archaeological sites might be located. This approach has already proven itself, for example, in Italy, where artificial intelligence helped identify the likely locations of Roman villas, which were subsequently confirmed by field research. This significantly saves time and budget, as researchers can focus on the most promising places.
While some archaeologists remain wary of AI, warning of the need for critical thinking and professional oversight, the prevailing view is that AI, when used properly, is a revolutionary tool. It does not replace human intuition and experience, but rather complements it with new perspectives. The future of archaeology will no longer be about brushes and shovels in the sand, but also about codes, data, and calculations that will allow humanity to better understand its own past – and thus itself.