How can high-tech be used for species conservation? Thanks to AI, efficiently and in a targeted manner, as proven by the GAIA Initiative of the research consortium, including the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and the Berlin Zoo.
The GAIA Initiative is a collaboration of research institutes, conservation organizations, and companies with the goal of creating a high-tech early warning system for ecological changes and critical events in the environment. Since the beginning of 2022, the partners have been researching the biology and ecology of selected animal species and the functioning of ecosystems in which they live in several projects. In addition, they are developing a new generation of animal transmitters equipped with sensor-near artificial intelligence (AI), a camera, energy-efficient electronics, and satellite communication technology. This will enable unprecedented insights into ecosystems. The innovative transmitters detect and transmit animal behavior in real time and are therefore key components of a global network of animal, human, and artificial intelligence – the “I³nternet of Life”.
The central animal species for the GAIA project are African vultures. Thanks to their flying behavior, these large birds can ideally contribute to researching unusual occurrences in national parks and conservation zones. They support science in the implementation of the early warning system and can even help detect wildlife diseases and poaching.
For the GAIA Initiative, Dan Pearlman developed a communication strategy, as well as a new visual appearance, and implemented the corporate design on a project-related website. In the corporate design, the vulture, as a symbolic animal, is embedded within a network of data points, representing the connection with AI. The included globe emphasizes the holistic approach of the initiative towards species and environmental conservation, drawing the viewer’s focus.
