Google Open Sources SpeciesNet AI Model for Wildlife Conservation

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10 days ago

Summary

Google has open-sourced SpeciesNet, an AI model designed to identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps. The model was trained on over 65 million publicly available images and can classify images into one of more than 2,000 labels.

Key Points

SpeciesNet is a machine learning model that can classify images into one of more than 2,000 labels, covering animal species, taxa, and non-animal objects.
The model was trained on over 65 million publicly available images and images from organizations like the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Google claims SpeciesNet can accurately identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps.

Why It Matters

The open-sourcing of SpeciesNet enables tool developers, academics, and biodiversity-related startups to scale monitoring of biodiversity in natural areas, ultimately contributing to wildlife conservation efforts.

Author

Kyle Wiggers

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