With the ever-rising popularity of generative AI, wildlife conservationists worry about its potential to skew perspectives.
The creation of AI imagery is steadily becoming more and more common, and with such images come concerns about the way people perceive their subject matter.
What's happening?
Specifically, AI-generated pictures of wildlife have grown in production. Experts worry that the dissemination of fake animal imagery mixed in with real photos will be a detriment to people's understanding of the natural world.
According to the Society for Conservation Biology, "Three distinctive characteristics of contemporary society can exacerbate this issue: the pervasive use of social media, anthropomorphizing of animal behavior, and disconnection from nature."
One of the lead researchers on the topic from the University of Córdoba, Rocío Serrano, added that children are especially vulnerable to taking AI imagery at face value.
She emphasized how kids can come to expect certain unrealistic behaviors from wildlife, which, instead of promoting care for nature, actually "has the opposite effect in terms of connection."
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Why is this important?
As AI continues to grow and change, it is inherently connected to the environment and how it is seen.
The creation of entirely fictional species and traits in wildlife, as well as giving said wildlife humanoid behaviors, allows for the ongoing spread of misinformation.
It is crucial to understand how real animals interact with their individual habitats, without the influence of falsified information purported by AI.
Still, it is also important to note that AI has the potential to benefit the environment in other areas, including streamlining renewable energy sources and sustainable solutions.
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Not even close 🧑🌾 If it is utilized in ways that bolster conservation efforts, it can become a tool for improvement and innovation.
However, the SCB and other wildlife preservation entities warn that if used incorrectly, people's decrease in media literacy and increase in AI imagery could have lasting consequences.
What's being done about this?
In order to mitigate misinformation, it is imperative that people "[indicate] whether content has been generated by AI, thereby … preserving the integrity of scientific knowledge about conservation," said SCB.
On top of this, those who consume social content are urged to think critically about what they are reading, watching, and seeing before instantly believing what is on their screen.
Especially pertaining to wildlife, maintaining an accurate understanding of biodiversity, behaviors, and morphology across species remains a pivotal part of continued conservation.
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