AI Matches Humans at Identifying Rainforest Animal Sounds, Showing Promise for Automated Biodiversity Monitoring

AI can identify animal sounds in recordings from rainforests as accurately as human experts, showing promise for automated biodiversity monitoring.

Recordings taken in older, less disturbed rainforest areas had more biodiversity based on animal calls.

The diversity of noisy animals matched the diversity of quieter animals like insects, so sound is a good biodiversity proxy.

This automated sound analysis could help monitor reforestation projects by firms like L'Oreal and Shell.

It provides a standardized way to evaluate if sponsored restoration efforts successfully increase biodiversity.