Thomas Graner: Fighting species extinction with AI

On May 16, Thomas Graner, Vice President of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in Bonn, will be a guest at the TUE lecture series at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg.

The title of his presentation is "Using AI to combat species extinction and illegal trade". In his presentation, Thomas Graner will discuss the importance of artificial intelligence in nature conservation: This includes already established methods such as in the monitoring of endangered species or Flora Incognita, a citizen science project for plant identification, as well as future areas of application. Among the visions that could soon become reality is the fight against illegal species trade on the darknet using AI.

The current loss of biodiversity is dramatic. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Germany, more than one million species are on the brink of extinction. Eighty percent of natural habitats in Europe are already degraded. A WWF report published at the end of 2022 revealed that mankind has destroyed around 69% of all observed populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles since 1970. Among other things, this is linked to the illegal trade in species, one of the four biggest crimes in the world.

Thomas Graner is not only Vice President of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in Bonn, but also Head of Central and Department at the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, where he deals with fundamental issues of nature conservation and strategic digitalization in nature and society, among other things.

In the summer semester 2024, artificial intelligence will be the focus of the lecture series on technology and environmental ethics at H-BRS. AI is now part of our lives, is changing our work and is developing rapidly. Nine experts will give lectures on AI in various scientific disciplines and professions and then discuss opportunities, risks and ethical issues with students and the audience.