Google has open sourced SpeciesNet, an artificial intelligence model designed to automatically identify animal species from photos captured by camera traps.
The new tool is expected to accelerate wildlife research by dramatically reducing the time it takes to sift through the massive volumes of data generated by these devices.
Camera traps—digital cameras equipped with infrared sensors—are widely used by researchers around the world to monitor wildlife populations. However, the sheer quantity of images they produce can delay data analysis by days or even weeks. SpeciesNet addresses this challenge by classifying images into more than 2,000 labels, ranging from specific animal species and broader taxa such as “mammalian” or “Felidae” to non-animal objects like vehicles.
The model is a key component of Google’s Wildlife Insights platform, an initiative launched about six years ago under the Google Earth Outreach philanthropy program. Wildlife Insights enables researchers to share, identify, and analyze wildlife images online, fostering collaboration to speed up data processing. SpeciesNet was trained on over 65 million publicly available images, supplemented by data from organizations such as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Zoological Society of London.
In a blog post published Monday, Google stated, “The SpeciesNet AI model release will enable tool developers, academics, and biodiversity-related startups to scale monitoring of biodiversity in natural areas.” The model is now available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license, allowing commercial use with minimal restrictions.
While Google’s release is not the only open-source solution for automating camera trap analysis—Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab has developed PyTorch Wildlife, an AI framework for animal detection and classification—SpeciesNet marks a significant step in democratizing access to advanced AI tools for wildlife research.
By streamlining the analysis of camera trap data, SpeciesNet is poised to support conservation efforts and provide deeper insights into global biodiversity, ultimately aiding researchers in monitoring and protecting ecosystems more effectively.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that Google’s refusal to allow Enel’s JuicePass app access to its Android Auto platform constitutes an abuse of its dominant market position, siding with Italy’s antitrust authority.
Mountain View, CA, February 24, 2025 – In a move to bolster account security and curb global SMS abuse, Google is set to phase out its SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) option for Gmail users, according to a report by Forbes.
Mountain View, CA, February 17, 2025 – Google has quietly announced the pricing for its new AI video model, Veo 2, revealed last December.
Google is expected to face charges from the European Commission for breaching rules designed to rein in the power of Big Tech, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
n 2024, Russian courts imposed fines on Google LLC four times, totaling 15.1 million rubles ($172,300), according to the press service of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor).
China on Tuesday announced a ban on the import of genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina, just minutes after President Donald Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.
Overnight clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the main border crossing led to widespread panic and forced around 15,000 local residents to flee their homes.
Torrential rain that began on Monday has led to widespread flooding in and around Indonesia's capital, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.
China on Tuesday expanded its retaliatory measures against the United States by imposing new export and investment restrictions on 25 U.S. firms on national security grounds, while also implementing additional tariffs. The move comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries.
A centuries old tradition of cheese-throwing has brought excitement to the town of Novara di Sicilia as its residents both young and old trooped out en masse to participate in the game.
Norway’s government has affirmed that it will continue to supply fuel for U.S. Navy vessels, dismissing recent calls from a private marine fuel supplier to halt deliveries amid tensions linked to U.S.-Ukrainian relations.
Watch AnewZ Live Coverage of the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at the Oval Office at https://anewz.tv/tv-live
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed his respect for the United States and its people in an interview with Fox News, following a tense meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting hosted this year by Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat, on 4 March.
Meta and the Internet Society have launched the Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative, a new project aimed at expanding affordable internet connections worldwide.
Chip designers Nvidia and Broadcom are conducting manufacturing tests using Intel’s advanced 18A process, according to sources familiar with the matter. The tests are part of an effort by both companies to evaluate whether Intel’s technology can meet the demanding requirements for advanced artificia
Frank McCourt announced on Monday that Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and a noted venture capitalist, has joined his bid to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has stirred conversation in the tech community by claiming that its AI models could achieve a “cost profit margin” of 545% under ideal conditions.
OpenAI has unveiled GPT-4.5, its most expansive AI model yet, code-named Orion. The new release marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the company’s language models, boasting increased computing power and a more extensive dataset than any previous version.
China on Tuesday announced a ban on the import of genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina, just minutes after President Donald Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.
Overnight clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the main border crossing led to widespread panic and forced around 15,000 local residents to flee their homes.
Torrential rain that began on Monday has led to widespread flooding in and around Indonesia's capital, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.
China on Tuesday expanded its retaliatory measures against the United States by imposing new export and investment restrictions on 25 U.S. firms on national security grounds, while also implementing additional tariffs. The move comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries.
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