Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

AI-Equipped Cameras Will Help Spot Wildlife Poachers Before They Can Kill (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the technology-to-the-rescue dept.

Conservation nonprofit Resolve is using AI-equipped cameras to act as remote park rangers and help spot wildlife poachers before they kill endangered animals. "Today, Resolve announced a new custom-made device called TrailGuard AI, which uses Intel-made vision chips to identify animals and humans that wander into view," reports The Verge. "The cameras will be placed on access trails used by poachers, automatically alerting park rangers who can check up on any suspicious activity." From the report: TrailGuard AI builds on past work by Resolve to create remote cameras to aid conservation. However, early devices were bulky, had limited battery life, and were unsophisticated, sending images to rangers every time their motion sensors were tripped. This resulted in lots of false positives, as the cameras would be triggered by non-events, such as the wind shaking tree branches. The new device, by comparison, is no thicker than a human index finger, has a battery life of a year and a half, and can reliably identify humans, animals, and vehicles. The chip used by Resolve is Intel's Movidius Myriad 2 VPU (or vision processing unit), which is the same technology that powered Google's automatic Clips camera.

69 comments

  1. Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Deploy some drones with guns and hunt the poachers. See how they like being hunted

    1. Re:Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Great. Even more destruction of privacy. It wasn't enough that they put cameras in stores, in restrooms, at garbage cans, in your TV, and in your bedroom. Now they're putting up cameras in remote forest locations too. WTF?

    2. Re:Half measures by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Well, at least these surveillance cams are easy to avoid.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      um, whatâ(TM)s the penalty for shooting an AI? ...just curious.

    4. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what exactly do you think happens when poachers forget and blunder into a camera?

    5. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oooooo ooooooo me me I know this! A poacher that forgets is shunned by all other poachers

    6. Re: Half measures by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Property damage. What else would it be?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really, it shows intent to poach an endangered animal.

      No one is going to care about the camera, if you are there with a gun in your hand you will be shot on sight.

      I mean, in theory you can shoot the camera, throw away your gun and put your arms above your head and hope that you won't be shot.
      If you are taken alive then property damage and trespassing might be on the table if you can convince everyone that you aren't involved in poaching in any way.

    8. Re:Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'Deploy some drones with guns and hunt the poachers. See how they like being hunted'

      But the Trump boys are the first to go.
      They got a permit? Sorry, my bad.

    9. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How will the camera know if the person is hunter, hiker or a poacher.?

    10. Re: Half measures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't matter, the camera isn't equipped to stop anyone so it needs to report in anyway.
      It only needs to differ between humans and non-humans and let the anti-poaching rangers figure out the details. They need to go out and intervene regardless of which one it is.

      Hikers shouldn't disturb the endangered animals and needs to be turned away.
      To my knowledge the distinction between hunter and poacher is that the poacher is hunting animals they shouldn't.

  2. Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Poaching will not stop.

    That should be clear by now, with the immiment extinction of a range of large animals.

    A solution may be farming.

    Farming addresses the supply problem, which removes the economic incentive to poach.

    It also massively increases population numbers.

    1. Re:Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poaching will not stop.

      That should be clear by now, with the immiment extinction of a range of large animals.

      A solution may be farming.

      Farming addresses the supply problem, which removes the economic incentive to poach.

      It also massively increases population numbers.

      I tend to agree. Put downward pressure on the price of rhino horn and elephant ivory until it's not a luxury item any more but a common commodity. At the same time, make the live population a "profit center" (which will cause it to increase) as opposed to a "cost center" (which everyone tries to ditch).

      This circumvents the whole debate about medicinal use (only about 10%) vs. prestige of owning such an animal part, and obsoletes the calls for education, regulation, enforcement, ...

      On a practical side, I'm not sure about the numbers and timespans though. Anti-poaching efforts may be part of an interim solution. Well, at least it creates its own industry with its own profits... :-(

    2. Re: Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ur so inviting

    3. Re: Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tea tree farming minus farmers leaves you with nothing

    4. Re:Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know how many elephants you got there in Yellowstone, but i think this is more to do with african etc. poaching.

    5. Re:Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Put downward pressure on the price of rhino horn and elephant ivory until it's not a luxury item any more but a common commodity.

      Commodities like piano keys and billiard balls? I'm not really sure you're grasping the concept here.

      And what sort of commodity do you think Rhino Horn can be apart from the faux medicine it already is? Can you elaborate?

      Personally I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

      Increasing the supply – as has been tried by auctioning the tusks confiscated from poachers – does nothing to eliminate demand.

      Destroying the supply – e.g. by burning the tusks confiscated from the poachers – also does nothing and merely drives the price up.

      I'm trying hard to think outside the box here, but the only thing I can think of is education to reduce the demand. And trying to stop the poachers.

    6. Re: Farming is likely the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is that a written invitation? Or just humor? Hardy har har

    7. Re:Farming is likely the solution by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      At the same time, make the live population a "profit center" (which will cause it to increase) as opposed to a "cost center" (which everyone tries to ditch).

      Even that can be hard to do. Those African big game hunts you see all over the news every now and then that environmentalists get all hung up about? People pay tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, for the permits for these hunts. They can only hunt specifically identified individuals who are usually old and no longer in the breeding population. The fees from the permit are put back towards conservation, and the hunts help stimulate the local economy through guides, processing the kills, and just generally supporting the hunt/travel. But all people see is a dead animal and freak out.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    8. Re:Farming is likely the solution by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Mostly because the animals are endangered, but the locals aren't - they are breeding like crazy.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    9. Re:Farming is likely the solution by PPH · · Score: 1

      You eliminate demand by poisoning confiscated rhino horn and then introducing it back into the black market. You kill the customers.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    10. Re:Farming is likely the solution by SethJohnson · · Score: 1

      Those African big game hunts you see all over the news every now and then that environmentalists get all hung up about?

      I am afraid you're misrepresenting past criticism of certain wealthy westerners who have travelled overseas to kill animals. The outrage hasn't been so much a rejection of killing animals for sport. Many of the public-outrage incidents you are probably referring to involved unethical hunting behavior that infuriates both hunters and non-hunters.

      Idaho Game Official Gloats After Killing Family of Primates

      Dentist Shoots GPS-collared Lion Lured from Preserve

      This isn't "hunting" so much as it is paying money for the opportunity to kill exotic creatures. The participants lack any skills or patience for "fair chase." They're not much different than a crystal meth addict hiding next to a barrel of rotten apples in a California forest waiting to shotgun (slug) a black bear so he can cut out its heart and sell it to a Chinese witch doctor.

      I admire the hunters who go after invasive species such as the Burmese python in the Everglades. It takes hundreds of hours and tons of legwork and concentration to find these monsters. Money doesn't buy an easy trophy there.

      Here's an excellent article about the erosion of "fair chase" hunting in America. Before pointing a finger at hunting critics, consider that there really are a lot of jackasses running around calling themselves hunters. The critics are largely pointing their fingers at these jackasses.

      --
      $5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!
    11. Re:Farming is likely the solution by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      Those African big game hunts you see all over the news every now and then that environmentalists get all hung up about?

      I am afraid you're misrepresenting past criticism of certain wealthy westerners who have travelled overseas to kill animals. The outrage hasn't been so much a rejection of killing animals for sport. Many of the public-outrage incidents you are probably referring to involved unethical hunting behavior that infuriates both hunters and non-hunters. Idaho Game Official Gloats After Killing Family of Primates Dentist Shoots GPS-collared Lion Lured from Preserve This isn't "hunting" so much as it is paying money for the opportunity to kill exotic creatures. The participants lack any skills or patience for "fair chase." They're not much different than a crystal meth addict hiding next to a barrel of rotten apples in a California forest waiting to shotgun (slug) a black bear so he can cut out its heart and sell it to a Chinese witch doctor. I admire the hunters who go after invasive species such as the Burmese python in the Everglades. It takes hundreds of hours and tons of legwork and concentration to find these monsters. Money doesn't buy an easy trophy there. Here's an excellent article about the erosion of "fair chase" hunting in America. Before pointing a finger at hunting critics, consider that there really are a lot of jackasses running around calling themselves hunters. The critics are largely pointing their fingers at these jackasses.

      I'm not talking about the Cecil killer or the monkey idiot (one maybe, but a whole group was just excessive). But there was the dentist I believe that killed the rhino that was past breeding age and was a loner/was sick, and everyone freaked out. As for skill/fair chase, well, isn't really that hard to sit in a deer stand for a few hours and waiting to shoot a deer that can't even see you, is it? That's honestly one of the reasons why I stopped deer hunting. It didn't feel very sporting (wasn't crazy about the taste of venison either and not into trophy hunting). And you forgot about the gall bladders that bear poachers tend to go for, too.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    12. Re:Farming is likely the solution by SethJohnson · · Score: 1

      I know of all those cases and I think the perception of the black rhino hunt auction story was colored by it being an extremely endangered species and many people would like to think that preservation would not involve sport hunting of the breed. It's a very nuanced proposition, and I'm not convinced that the proponents of hunt-for-preservation aren't just deluding themselves in order to rationalize their activity.

      I'm with you on your rejection of the deer stand / feeder dynamic. That's not "hunting." It should be called "ambushing."

      Yes, I should have said gall bladder when I mentioned the bear poachers cutting out the hearts for Chinese witch doctors.

      --
      $5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!
  3. New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by Kunedog · · Score: 2

    So is there another term that researchers working in the field of AI use to avoid confusion, now that "AI" has become a marketing buzzword for any system using a sensor and/or algorithm (and often not even that) to make decisions?

    1. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by dromgodis · · Score: 1

      Why not just "intelligence"?

      I never really understood the need for a distinction between biologically evolved intelligence and ones that come into existence by other means.

      And I think it would be harder to make a marketing buzzword out of just "intelligence". :)

    2. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by kalebskeithley · · Score: 1

      Synthetic Cognition ?

      Remember, you heard it here first.

    3. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by rmdingler · · Score: 1

      It's also worthy of consideration why we are so prone to sharply demarcate anthropogenic advancements from otherwise natural or biological development.

      Mankind is the result of a natural, biological process... it follows that advancements made by the planet's big-brained hairless monkeys are of nature.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    4. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We aren't talking about intelligence, hence the "artificial".

      AI is something that appears to be intelligent but really isn't.
      Just like artificial leather is something that looks like leather but isn't.

    5. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it would be harder to make a marketing buzzword out of just "intelligence". :)

      It has too many letters/syllables. That's why they use "Smart" to describe everything with an algorithm for sale.

    6. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by dromgodis · · Score: 1

      Almost, but not quite. There are three different fields and meanings of AI.

      One of them is as you say, something that just displays a behaviour that is adapted to the situation. It does not have anything to do with real intelligence, just generally the best rational response to the environment and situation.

      The other field is about creating proper intelligence, whatever that is. Some people here seem to think that this should be the only use of the term AI, and if it is used for something else, they feel compelled to rant about how that use is not "proper" AI (which usually was never claimed) and, for good measure, point out that they believe that AGI will never happen.

      And the third field is marketing. There all bets are off when it comes to definition.

    7. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by dromgodis · · Score: 1

      Exactly!

      Max Tegmark is musing around exactly that line of reasoning and its consequences in his book "Life 3.0". Not a very good book in itself, but probably a should-read if you are interested in this topic.

    8. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your problem is in thinking AI at any point ever meant "magic that I don't understand". It didn't, it never meant that, AI has always just referred to systems with some degree of useful emergent behaviour, because ultimately, that's all natural intelligence is to varying degrees of complexity.

      We just don't have the knowledge or tech to build it as advanced as a human being yet, but rest assured, when we do, you'll be bitterly disappointed to find out it's just a bunch of sensors and algorithms also. I mean, what do you think it is? There's no such thing as magic.

    9. Re:New Term for Actual Artificial Intelligence by Graydyn+Young · · Score: 1

      Anybody in the field would just use a more specific term. In this case, "Computer Vision". I think the only field that would probably like the term AI back would be people making game-playing agents.

  4. finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they come with something good out of all this messy shit AI is

  5. AI gonna peak and burn faster than bitcoin. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AI, blockchain, the Cloud, big data, all the same hypetrain with new paint.

  6. Me and my llama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    going to the dentist today.

    1. Re:Me and my llama by johnsie · · Score: 1

      I whipped you llama's ass

  7. "AI" is now officially meaningless. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everything is "AI", even the bacteria that make your mom's fart so disgustingly stinky.

  8. Odds are the pachers will hack the system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Simply because they have more motivation than anyone else with an interest.

    Which tells them where the animals are and the rangers. Not really a win for conservation that.

  9. Re:New Term foAI ir Actual Artificial Intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "AI" is a profound misnomer.

    There is a particular computing method, a classification method, which has picked up this term.

    It's not intelligence, any more than a thermometer is intelligent, in that it "knows" the difference between hot and cold.

  10. Re: HUNT THE TRUMP JUNIORS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Whoosh

  11. Ch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, but the Chinese are dumb enough to think rhino horns will give them non-tiny pee-pees, and the Yanks think hunting shit makes them tough, so they'll both figure out a way to outsmart the cameras.

    1. Re: Ch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah but what about the reality distortion field around the cameras confusing poachers for miles? Hee hee

  12. Can they spot illegal immigrants by johnsie · · Score: 0

    Can they spot illegal immigrants?

  13. Gun equipped Cameras can Kill poachers ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It would be far more efficient to add a Gun to the camera's and kill the poachers' one would think.

    1. Re:Gun equipped Cameras can Kill poachers ... by dromgodis · · Score: 1

      Indeed, but what if the camera kills a rhino?

      Btw, would that device be named a "Smart Camera" in the same way that an internet-connected microphone with an attached speaker becomes a "Smart Speaker"?

    2. Re: Gun equipped Cameras can Kill poachers ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Had to scroll all the way down to find the "it should kill on sight" comment.

    3. Re:Gun equipped Cameras can Kill poachers ... by PPH · · Score: 1

      But what if it's just a local villager walking home at night? Better to intercept and question them. And let the innocent go on about their way. We need humans in the loop.

      I say we organize some safaris for mercenaries. Come on over and you can kill as many verified poachers as you want. Some people would actually pay.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  14. misread headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I saw the headline out of the corner of my eye and thought it said "AI Will Help Self-Driving Cars Spot Pedestrians They Can Kill"... damn you MIT/Stanford.

  15. Two words: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Minority Report

  16. Also known as ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... software-driven cameras, which are not remotely new. The desperation to make 'AI' apear to useful or even a thing is getting sad. Sorry, kids, a great many of us *have* been cognizant adults for the past number of decades that you missed out on. Time to start doing some research before you open your mouths or tap 'publish'. Yawn.

  17. EdRanger209! by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    "You have 30 seconds to comply!"

  18. A most dangerous game by alvinrod · · Score: 2

    Why not just sell hunting rights on the poachers. I'm sure there are some people who'd pay tens or maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars to go human hunting. If you're already going to kill them, you may as well at least try to make a buck while doing so.

    1. Re:A most dangerous game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are already rangers that hunt poachers down, but that doesn't stop new poachers from appearing.

      The people who become poachers are usually very poor and have few other options and the buyers well so that the poachers are willing to take the risk.

      Unfortunately a lot of endangered animals are in such a state that even one or two killed is catastrophic.
      It isn't sufficient to just increase the risk of being a poacher, it is also needed to make sure that the people there have other options.

  19. Too Late! Chinks Killed All Rhinos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because of their tiny cocks and medieval belief system the CHINESE have already killed all the Rhinos trying to MAGICALLY GROW THEIR TINY COCKS.

    Fuck the Chinese. Fucking NUKE them and we'ld all be better off!

  20. Re: Nuking Chins is the only solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one is killing the planet faster than the Chinese. Eight well placed nukes is all it would take to save the planet.

    Time for Donald to be a man and NUKE CHINA!

  21. Ambiguous "They" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AI-Equipped Cameras Will Help Spot Wildlife Poachers Before AI-Equipped Cameras Can Kill

    FTFY

  22. Poachers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Two poachers hired a pilot to take them way back into the bush. After the hunt, the pilot returned and saw that they shot six lions. "The plane won't carry six lions, you'll have to leave two of them," said the pilot, trying to be friendly. Unwilling to leave their dead lions, the poachers said "We got six on the plane last year." The pilot gave in, and just five minutes after takeoff the plane crashed into the bush. Lucky to be alive, one of the poachers said, "Any idea where we are?" The second poacher said, "Yeah, right about where our plane went down last year."

  23. Old School Solution by Toad-san · · Score: 1

    So my classic "trip wire and hand grenade" solution is right out then?

  24. how about arming wildlife to return fire! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about equipment Wildlife with countermeasures and the capability to return fire!
    When elephant poachers were charged at by a herd of elephants from where a bull was killed by the poachers... I was rooting for the elephants.
    It would of loved to see the poachers trampled to death.

  25. What a great guy! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure who this Al guy is but he's doing a lot of great things. :)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  26. No match for human stupidity and greed by VeryFluffyBunny · · Score: 1

    The most advanced AI systems are no match for the stupidity and greed of poachers. I can see a new job emerging, paying kids to go around finding & smashing AI cameras.

    --
    Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.