New AI Platform Cuts Conservation Data Analysis to Days

Conservation scientists are getting their time back, and Earth's ecosystems are the winners.

The Allen Institute of AI just launched OlmoEarth, a free platform that transforms how researchers monitor our planet. Scientists who previously spent 80% of their time wrestling with data can now focus on actually being ecologists.

The platform runs on artificial intelligence trained with 10 terabytes of Earth observation data. It pulls together satellite images, radar, and sensor information to answer questions like where forests are disappearing or how mangroves are faring.

"We wanted to go from them spending months to literally days to get the same information," says Ted Schmitt, senior director of conservation at Ai2. The key difference? No coding required.

The Global Mangrove Alliance was an early partner. Their team at Wetlands International runs Global Mangrove Watch, tracking these crucial coastal forests worldwide. They told Ai2 they were spending 90% of their time sorting data and only 10% doing actual ecology work.

OlmoEarth flips that ratio. Users can customize the platform's AI models with their own data, creating specialized tools for their specific conservation questions. Want alerts when deforestation hits a particular patch of Amazon rainforest? Just click a few buttons.

The platform tackles a problem bigger than time. Patrick Beukema, who leads OlmoEarth at Ai2, noticed conservation groups kept reinventing the same technological wheels. Each organization built similar tools separately, unable to share innovations with mission-aligned partners.

The platform launched in November as open source. That means any researcher or conservation organization can access the same powerful AI that would normally require a team of data scientists and months of work.

Why This Inspires

Environmental challenges can feel overwhelming, but tools like this prove we're getting smarter about protecting our planet. When scientists spend less time on spreadsheets and more time on solutions, everyone benefits.

The Allen Institute built OlmoEarth specifically for groups that couldn't afford expensive AI systems. They're leveling the playing field so a small conservation nonprofit has the same analytical power as a major research institution.

The platform is already tracking deforestation with the Group on Earth Observations. As more organizations adopt it, we'll get faster, better information about ecosystem health worldwide.

Technology like this multiplies human effort. One scientist can now monitor vast stretches of forest or coastline, catching problems early when solutions are still possible.