Nature meets innovation at Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop to combat wildlife crime

WWF, IFAW, and the United Nations University Promotes 'AI for Good' for Wildlife Protection

(Hong Kong SAR - 27 June 2024) - An action-oriented workshop promoting the use of AI to combat wildlife crime took place, aiming to foster broader collaboration in conservation efforts, and addressing global development priorities.

The 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Combating Wildlife Crime Workshop' was organized by WWF, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the United Nations University Institute in Macao (UNU Macao), in partnership with, KPMG, and ATOS. The event was held on 25-26 June in Hong Kong SAR.

According to the latest findings by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Wildlife Crime Report, more than 4,000 species around the world are being targeted by wildlife traffickers, causing "untold harm to nature".

Wildlife crime is primarily driven by the demand for medicine, pets, bushmeat, ornamental plants, and trophies and is commonly linked to other crimes and corruption. The report also states that beyond the direct threat to the population of species posed by wildlife trafficking, the crime can also disrupt delicate ecosystems. It also threatens the socioeconomic benefits people derive from nature, such as a source of income, employment, food, medicine, culture, and more.

The two-day event brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from various sectors to share best practices, strategize collective actions, and explore potential new funding sources to counter illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in source sites and supply chains. Attendees were introduced to the UNU Global AI Network, a comprehensive global platform uniting academia, the private sector, policymakers, and civil society to address the multifaceted challenges posed by AI on a global scale.

"Over the past two decades, IFAW has been monitoring the illegal wildlife trade online and witnessed how criminals have evolved their technology to make combating wildlife cybercrime increasingly challenging. This event aims to bring different stakeholders together to explore AI-empowered solutions, because only then can we move from a reactive response to a proactive approach to tackle wildlife crime," says Jeff He, IFAW China Country Director.

Highlights of the event included keynote presentations on the United Nations' "AI for Good" initiative and the UNU Global AI Network, as well as sessions covering cyber-enabled wildlife crime, academic research in real-life tools for combating wildlife crime, AI in law enforcement, AI-enabled solutions in the internet industry, AI in predicting zoonotic disease risks and improved bio-surveillance, and AI in the supply chain.

The event also featured cross-sector collaboration and initiatives, as well as a session dedicated to young researchers and emerging leaders in AI research, showcasing innovative projects from university students.

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