The race against extinction is on, and AI is joining the fray. According to a major report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the rise of AI and digitisation could be a turning point in the battle to save vital plants and fungi from disappearing forever. While the situation is dire, with 40% of plant species at risk and another 330,000 yet to be analyzed, the potential of AI to help botanists is immense.
AI is already proving its worth in several key areas. Firstly, it can rapidly identify new plant specimens, even those with microscopic features that are challenging for humans to discern. This is particularly exciting for vulnerable species that might otherwise go unnoticed. Secondly, digitising plant and fungal specimens speeds up international collaboration, making it easier to access important collections in biodiversity hotspots like Madagascar.
The Kew Gardens have already digitized all 7.4 million of its specimens, including those collected by Charles Darwin. This massive undertaking involved taking 20,000 high-resolution images a day at its peak, resulting in a total of 145 million digital specimens now online globally. However, this still represents less than 16% of the total held in herbariums, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of plant and fungal diversity.
One of the most fascinating findings from the report is the discovery that flowering has shifted by an average of 2.5 days per decade over the last century due to the climate crisis. This has led to some flowers arriving later and others coming earlier, disrupting ancient relationships between plants and their pollinators and other animals that depend on them at specific times of the year. For example, a study using herbarium specimens showed that about 80% of the kindal trees in India's Western Ghats, important for timber, used to flower at the same time. By the 1990s, that had fallen to less than half.
AI is also being used to unlock the genetic secrets of fungi, with scientists now able to produce high-quality genomes from very old specimens, some up to 180 years old. This breakthrough makes historical fungarium specimens a 'genomic goldmine' for new medicines and the prediction of disease outbreaks. Penicillin and statins were derived from fungi, and some human pathogens seem to be spreading from warmer places as the hot season gets longer in temperate regions.
However, there are concerns over the heavy use of energy and water by AI datacentres. The report's authors acknowledge this issue, and it's a valid concern. As AI continues to advance, it's crucial to consider the environmental impact of its development and use. The report calls for partnerships between technology companies and environmental organizations, as well as investment from governments and funders in plant and fungal collections.
In conclusion, AI has the potential to be a game-changer in the race against extinction. While there are challenges to overcome, such as the environmental impact of AI development, the benefits of using AI to save vital plants and fungi are undeniable. As Prof Alexandre Antonelli, the executive director of science at RBG Kew, says, 'While documenting and protecting all life on Earth remain formidable challenges, digitisation and accompanying technologies make me increasingly hopeful that we’ll succeed.' This is a hopeful message, and one that we should all embrace as we strive to protect our planet's precious biodiversity.
