AI COULD HELP WIN RACE AGAINST PLANT EXTINCTION, SAYS KEW

Artificial intelligence and digitisation could represent a turning point in efforts to identify and preserve plant species before they disappear, according to a major report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. New technology is enabling scientists to track shifts in flowering times across the globe, rapidly identify new specimens, and extract genetic data from fungus samples dating back 180 years. Digitisation has made millions of archived specimens accessible online for the first time, generating new insights particularly in the global south. The technologies could unlock what researchers describe as a "genomic goldmine" of previously inaccessible data.

Plants and fungi are fundamental to all life on Earth, providing food and medicines whilst storing carbon and regulating climate. Approximately 40% of the 70,000 plant species assessed to date face extinction risk, whilst a further 330,000 remain unanalysed. Scientists believe another 100,000 plant species have yet to be formally named. Around 2,000 new plant species are recorded annually, but Prof Alexandre Antonelli, executive director of science at RBG Kew, stated this effort "barely scratches the surface". The situation is more severe for fungi, with 90% of an estimated 2 million species unknown to science and less than 1% of known species assessed for extinction risk.

AI systems can learn to identify plants with microscopic distinguishing features, such as sedges and peat mosses, enabling faster detection of new or vulnerable species. Prof Antonelli noted that whilst documenting and protecting all life on Earth remains a formidable challenge, digitisation and accompanying technologies provide grounds for optimism about success. The potential loss of undiscovered medicines and sustainable crops before scientific assessment represents a significant concern.