Abstract: 

How can artificial intelligence and open data science tackle the twin challenges of climate change and reversing biodiversity loss? Come hear about some of the successes in addressing these challenges and get some tips on how you can help. Topics include case studies on how the World Wildlife Fund and others are using AI to help predict deforestation, monitor the health of protected areas, and map carbon stocks, going into some detail about the artificial intelligence techniques applied. The talk will also address difficulties involved with AI applications due to the sensitive nature of much of the relevant data. Pointers for further exploration will be given throughout the talk, and it will close with some open questions you can help answer.

Bio: 

Dave Thau is WWF's Data and Technology Global Lead Scientist with him over 30 years of software development and conservation experience. He is also a member of the IPBES Knowledge and Data taskforce. Prior to WWF, Dave worked at the California Academy of Sciences, the Kansas University Museum of Natural History, and Google where he helped launch Google Earth Engine.

Dave’s work focuses on the fields of data management, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and remote sensing. He holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a doctorate in computer science from the University of California, Davis. He also has an ant named in his honor - the charming Plectroctena thaui.