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 United States is set to deploy an additional 200 troops to Nigeria as part of expanded counterterrorism cooperation, according to a senior Nigeria...
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry has raised concerns over reports that the Kulevi oil terminal on the country’s Black Sea coast could be included in a f...
The United Kingdom’s High Court has ruled that the government’s ban on the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action was unlawful, citing th...
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched early on Friday, 13 February, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying four astronauts and cosmonauts on an eight-mont...
The United States is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday,...
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
A coalition of women’s rights organisations, technology watchdogs and progressive campaigners is urging Apple and Google, owned by Alphabet, to remove the social media platform X and its associated chatbot, Grok, from their app stores.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced its newest model, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, claiming it can perform some tasks as well as the latest models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
Europe heads into the Munich Security Conference, on Friday (13 February), amid deepening unease over U.S. policy, as President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on defence, trade and territory fuels doubts about Washington’s long-term commitment to transatlantic security.
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Türkiye and Greece signalled renewed political will to ease long-standing tensions during high-level talks in Ankara on Wednesday (11 February). Maritime borders, migration and trade topped the agenda as both leaders struck a cautiously optimistic tone.
Stalled U.S.–Iran talks and mounting regional tensions are exposing a growing strategic rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over how to confront Tehran, political analyst James M. Dorsey says, exposing stark differences in approach at a critical moment.
BMW is recalling a mid six figure number of vehicles worldwide after identifying a potential fire risk linked to the starter motor.
The formation of a black hole can be quite a violent event, with a massive dying star blowing up and some of its remnants collapsing to form an exceptionally dense object with gravity so strong not even light can escape.
BMW is recalling a mid six figure number of vehicles worldwide after identifying a potential fire risk linked to the starter motor.
British chipmaker Fractile will invest £100 million over the next three years to expand its artificial intelligence hardware operations in the UK, opening a new engineering facility in Bristol as it ramps up production of next-generation AI systems.
The European Union has launched its largest semiconductor pilot line under the European Chips Act, investing €700 million ($832 million) in the new NanoIC facility at IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, as part of efforts to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment