The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Google are seeking to harness previously untapped data to help the plants and animals most threatened by global wildlife trade.  

New funding from Google.org's $20 million AI for Science Fund has been awarded to support UNEP-WCMC in its cutting-edge use of artificial intelligence for applied scientific research.  

The overexploitation of animals and plants is a major threat driving species to extinction. In recognition of this, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (the CITES Convention) works to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. Through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) the world has also pledged to halt species extinctions and ensure that harvest, use and trade in wild species is sustainable. To deliver on these commitments, the world’s governments need support identifying the species that are most affected. 

Under this new initiative, UNEP-WCMC will work with Google and the University of Cambridge Department of Computer Science to use cutting edge AI approaches, such as Large Language Models and Agentic AI, to gather and organize hard-to-find data on tens of thousands of plant and animal species that are traded around the world. This previously untapped data will provide important insights to help governments and others around the world grapple with overexploitation. Scientists will combine this new dataset with existing information to develop models that identify the species most inherently at risk of overexploitation for trade.   

The work will enable us to better support governments and others with information on vulnerable species of animals and plants that may need more safeguards to avoid unsustainable levels of trade, improving their prospects for survival and enhancing the opportunities for people to enjoy and benefit from them. The results of the project will be available for others to use through open access online data systems, including tools supporting trade decisions in the context of CITES and the UN Biodiversity Lab.  

UNEP-WCMC's support is a part of the latest AI for Science Fund award to 12 organisations around the world that are using AI to address increasingly complex problems at the intersections of various disciplines of science.  

UNEP-WCMC supports efforts to regulate the international trade of wildlife for the benefit of nature and people. It provides dedicated scientific, policy and knowledge management support to global, regional and national efforts to implement CITES. These initiatives aim to minimise the threat to biodiversity posed by unsustainable international trade in controlled plants and animals.   

Paramount to this work is our effort in supplying relevant species-focused assessments and trade data analyses to national and regional authorities working towards ensuring international trade is sustainable. This ensures that people who are working to manage and regulate wildlife trade can access the information they need for decision-making. 

Main image: nonnie192, Hammerhead shark swimming in tropical underwaters, AdobeStock #661394467