Support our community to restore Taranaki's natural environment
We can’t do it alone. We need your help! Any money you donate will go directly to supporting Taranaki projects restoring and protecting biodiversity. You get to choose where it goes to. And if you can’t help out with cash, you can help in other ways.
Accelerating Wildlife Conservation Through AI
Founded in New Zealand in 2018, Wildlife.ai is an independent charitable organisation dedicated to accelerating wildlife conservation through artificial intelligence. Its core mission is to ensure AI is widely applied to protect biodiversity, transforming innovative technology into practical tools that make a real difference on the ground.
A Vision for Our Taonga
“Taranaki is home to a unique range of flora and fauna. However, many of our species are at risk.” says Dr Victor Anton, General Manager and co-founder of Wildlife.ai. “Having limited data about these taonga or treasure species hinders our ability to understand, enjoy and protect them. Wildlife.ai works to deploy innovative solutions at scale before it is too late”. Our team includes technical and community experts and a network of “Data Rangers”, volunteers who share this commitment to kaitiakitanga.
A Distinctive Approach to Conservation Technology
We take a nature-first approach to technology, creating user-friendly tools that are non-invasive and accessible. Technology alone does not protect wildlife—people do. Wildlife.ai empowers biologists, Iwi and hapū, governments, and community groups by providing both the tools and the training needed to use, maintain, and update the following AI-powered technologies.
Wildlife Watcher: This smart camera system uses real-time AI to identify both native species and invasive predators. Unlike traditional camera traps, it uses visual motion detection to capture cold-blooded and small animals, such as wētā and geckos, which are often missed.
Spyfish Aotearoa: This project provides critical insights for the management of marine reserves like Tapuae. Using high-performance computing, we automatically annotate underwater footage to help biologists from the Department of Conservation.
See how these areas protect species like blue cod and snapper at the link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YmuHBu1-lBQx8zlzuxIDbex2JD0M4qR6/view?usp=sharing
Empowering the Next Generation of Kaitiaki
Technology is only effective when people have the skills to use it. Our education programme, Wild About AI, has already reached 250 students this year through its “Future Minds: Connecting AI and Te Taiao o Moana” curriculum. Ākonga aged 10–14 learn how artificial intelligence can protect the environment by identifying fish species on the Zooniverse platform.
Strong Partnerships for Long-Term Impact
Conservation success depends on connection. We work alongside Iwi and hapū, government agencies, and community groups to ensure local ownership of our technology. By building resilient networks and shared ownership, we are making Taranaki and Aotearoa a leading example of how community-led AI can support a thriving environment.
Join Us
Whether you are a technologist, a student, or a conservationist, there is a place for you in our community. If you are interested in supporting thriving biodiversity for future generations, please get in touch.
