How AI Can Help Save the Natural World with MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery

Finches, zebras, Darwin... and AI? 🧠🌍

Two centuries after Darwin explored the Galápagos, artificial intelligence is transforming how we study and protect the natural world, rapidly expanding what’s possible in biodiversity and ecology research. In this episode, MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery explains how AI is unlocking new possibilities in conservation, from identifying endangered species to analyzing ecosystem health at scale. AI can help biologists collect, process, and interpret enormous volumes of data, unlocking patterns and offering insights that were simply not possible without modern technology.

Beery shares her journey, from tagging snow leopards in college to leading global research at the intersection of computer vision and ecology. But she sounds a note of caution: AI has no values of its own and must be paired with human values to tackle the complex tradeoffs behind biodiversity decisions. As these tools become more powerful, it’s up to us to decide how they’re used, and what (or who) we prioritize.

🎧 Topics include:

• Using AI to analyze millions of wildlife images
• Why computer vision is revolutionizing species identification
• The ethical dilemmas behind conservation decisions
• How researchers are using AI to inform policy and protect ecosystems