AI and the Amazon Rainforest

Introduction:

Hi Everyone! After posting in my first blog “Deciphering Animal Communication using AI”, I’ve been determined to find more uses of how we could use AI to try to protect and learn more about the species and habitats on the Earth. The more that we develop as a species, the more people try to jump at the opportunity of using new technologies, and this might be at the expense of the Earth and the natural resources that we already have. The Amazon Rainforest is known as being an abundant ecosystem that is within the Earth, but it is being damaged by various factors, and one of the main ones would be deforestation. Microsoft is taking measures using technology to save the parts of the rainforest that we still have.

What is damaging the Amazon Rainforest?

Source: https://earth.org/amazon-rainforest-endangered-species/

Most people are aware of the deforestation that takes place in the Amazon Rainforest, but because it is a place that isn’t very habited by humans, the damage is ignored. Lai states, “Aside from supporting such a rich biodiversity, the Amazon is also the world’s largest rainforest, playing a crucial role in helping absorb and store carbon dioxide amid increases in global carbon emissions”. Despite the fact that we are geographically distant from the Amazon Rainforest, we still experience the benefits that it offers. Additionally, there are so many species that survive and thrive in the Amazon Rainforest, and they are losing their habitats. Lai states, “rampant deforestation and increasing wildfire events exacerbated by climate change are destroying more natural habitats every day, threatening the survival of many important and rare species “. We all enjoy the documentaries featuring these amazing animals, but we have to think about how they are suffering, and even unknown species have an importance in the food chain.

Microsoft’s use of AI to help the Amazon Rainforest

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/ai-for-earth-imazon

After researching about how AI would relate to the Amazon Rainforest, I came across Imazon. According to Microsoft, “Imazon uses artificial intelligence and Microsoft Azure services to prototype deforestation risk and prevent future losses of the Amazon rainforest”. I was excited to see that a major tech company, like Microsoft, would find such a relevant cause to focus on and trying to improve. There are so many components that went into this from Microsoft and here are some of them. Firstly, the text states, “Imazon, together with Fundo Vale and Microsoft are integrating an existing rainforest deforestation risk model algorithm using Azure. With a more robust image processing forest model, PrevisIA can identify unofficial roads, one of the leading indicators of future deforestation, stimulating future scenarios to stop rainforest loss events, like forest fires, before they happen”. It was interesting to see how Microsoft determined something, like “unofficial roads”, and connected it to helping prevent not only deforestation, but also as a way to manage certain situations, such as the forest fires. The fact that Microsoft is also working with “an existing rainforest deforestation risk model algorithm” shows that this is a cause that is being improved and is something that can be upgraded as the newer technologies that Microsoft has comes out.

The Impact

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/ai-for-earth-imazon

The picture above shows how the technology works, and a diagram of the components. The results that came from using PrevisIA were amazing to read about. The website states, “The resulting output is visualized in an interactive map, highlighting the high-risk areas. This information is then used to support decision making for safeguarding the rainforest”. I wanted to understand the reach that a new technology like this could have when it came to the Amazon Rainforest, because it would be really difficult to be able to monitor every part of the rainforest at all times, but I liked how they mentioned how this technology could be used as a plan. Even if all parts of the rainforest aren’t incorporated in the places that would be considered “high-risk areas”, I think the strategy that will be used to prevent deforestation in those locations can also be implemented in other areas where there are different risk levels. Also, based on the results of what happened when the “high-risk areas” were observed and how the precautions affected those locations can show the people involved in this project what was successful, and maybe even whether or not this could be something that could be used in either other rainforests around the world, or other habitats.

Conclusion:

After learning more about how Microsoft is using AI to try to help preserve the Amazon Rainforest, it has been nice to know that there are more ways and ideas that we can now try to test out because of how technologies, such as Imazon, are trying to improve the Earth. I hope that this project succeeds and is able to have some form of continuation, because bringing the Amazon Rainforest back to a good state after dealing with lots of deforestation is definitely going to be something that will take a long time to accomplish. I’m interested to see how the impact over time, and which regions of the Amazon the technology has expanded to, and whether or not this is technology can be used in other parts of the world.

Thanks,

Jhanvi Desai