ARTICLE
18 December 2024

Nuts About AI

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Goodmans LLP

Contributor

Goodmans is internationally recognized as one of Canada’s pre-eminent business law firms. Based in Toronto, the firm has market-leading expertise in M&A, corporate and transaction finance, private equity, real estate, tax, restructuring, litigation, intellectual property and other business-related specialties.
In the UK, a system called Squirrel Agent uses AI to differentiate between squirrel species with 97% accuracy. It helps protect the declining red squirrel population by redirecting grey squirrels, the dominant species, to feeders with contraceptive paste. Currently being tested at various sites, the technology aims to expand and protect other endangered species in the future.
United Kingdom Technology

When it comes to harnessing AI to save endangered species, it looks like we may be barking up the right tree.

In the UK, developers have created a system called Squirrel Agent, which can differentiate between types of squirrels with 97% accuracy. Not only is the red squirrel population in decline, but they can often be difficult to detect, as not all red squirrels are red in colour. Squirrel Agent is trained on thousands of animal photographs and can identify by tails, ears, weight, size, and colour.

Squirrel Agent is connected to bird feeders which allow access to red squirrels and divert grey squirrels, the dominant population, to other feeders with contraceptive paste. The technology is currently being tested at multiple sites in the UK with the hope of evolving the system in the future to identify individual animals and protect multiple species in danger of extinction.

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