Data Science Applied to Sustainability Analysis: Chapter 2 - Applying AI to conservation challenges

This chapter presents the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and approaches in conservation-related challenges. We first present a short survey of innovative AI-based solutions that primarily lean on monitoring and evaluation of conservation work. We then introduce a more systematic approach to discovering AI-ready problems that serve stakeholders from diverse domains (conservation, science, policy-work, citizen engagement and more) using the Adaptive Management Cycle, and illustrate examples for the same. Finally, we highlight a core mental model in sustainability and conservation - the idea of interconnectedness of people and nature. Stemming from this interconnectedness and the Adaptive Management Cycle is the Impact Technology Canvas - a tool to help foster the AI community to build scalable and transferable solutions.