AI Camera to Combat Illegal Wild Animal Killings

AI cameras will be installed in the African wild to detect poachers. Resolve, a non-profit organization, worked with Intel to develop TrailGuard AI, a camera meant to prevent poaching. The camera can alert park rangers about suspicious activities, so they can intervene and determine if an arrest is necessary. The AI cameras will be planted in areas where poachers can easily access wild animals. The plan is for the cameras to be installed in national parks and wildlife reserves or protected areas around Africa, and later in South America and Southeast Asia. Resolve has previously made anti-poaching cameras, but TrailGuard AI is more sophisticated than its previous creations. What sets TrailGuard AI apart from older anti-poaching cameras is its capability to send alerts only when it detects humans and vehicles. It uses image classification technology, so the camera is highly accurate. This feature prevents the camera from alerting park rangers about false triggers, like the movement of birds or trees. TrailGuard AI is a miniature camera, so it is easy to conceal from poachers and wild animals. It also boasts a long battery life of almost 1.5 years. According to reports, poachers kill one African elephant every 15 minutes. If they are not stopped, the species will be extinct in a few decades. Since 1970, approximately 60% of extinct wildlife has been attributed to irresponsible human activities. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, an organization that funded the development of TrailGuard AI, hopes that the camera can help curb the killing of endangered animals. The group is also hopeful that AI technology can further improve how endangered species are managed and monitored.