Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of Congo's elephants

In the African jungles there are a large number of animals, many of them in danger of extinction. The elephants of the Congo They are among the first on the list, they are highly sought after for the ivory of their tusks. However, using the artificial intelligence, Microsoft has promoted a new project to combat extinction.

Poachers are always on the prowl and have brought this magnificent animal to the brink of extinction, just for the few dollars they can get on the black market by selling its tusks.

Poaching has made the number of elephants in the Congo has decreased in a short time. a little more than 100,000 copies, less than 40,000 in recent years.

Elephants and Artificial Intelligence

Now then,Congo's elephants are not aloneIn addition to the reserves and patrol groups created to monitor this animal, there is the project Elephant Listening Project, for about three decades.

This project is part of a larger one called AI for Earth, by Microsoft. Where, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), are used to monitor wildlife and determine the performance of conservation efforts.

And how do they do it?

In this project for the conservation of the Congo's elephants, Several applications are combined with cutting-edge technology, which allow you to know movement patterns and alarm signals in real time.

The artificial intelligence It's here to stay, for the benefit of our planetIn this way, they use acoustic sensors to record all the sounds of nature 24 hours a day, which are then stored in the Azure cloud.

At the same time, Conservation Metrics uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, which have the ability to differentiate pimples from the pachyderms, from the rest of the sounds in the environment. Essentially, to detect danger calls and better understand elephants' low-frequency sound communication.

Today's computers last about a few weeks to process the large volume of data collected over several months, which has led to the collapse of more than one server. Therefore, all information is transferred to  the Azure cloud, where the analysis time will be one day. Undoubtedly, this will allow for quick decisions to be made to safeguard the species.

Meanwhile, the Machine Learning was developed for ddetect movement patterns of the pachyderms and warn of the arrival of poachers. Basically, its function is to create a model of the route to be followed and improve the efficiency of the patrol cars. In turn, it also help in blocking online ads about the sale of ivory.

In the near future

Now, from now on, we will see more and more efforts from people, groups of environmentalists and organizations working hand in hand with cutting-edge technologyClearly, several similar initiatives are being created around the world to safeguard animal species and maintain ecosystems.

We'll be posting about other projects of this type later. Tell us what you think. What do you think of these projects, which benefit the planet's fauna and flora? Will these environmental conservation measures be arriving in time?

Image: Microsoft