Capgemini’s data and AI experts collaborated with the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop AI models. These AI models enhance insect identification through sound, assisting biodiversity conservation. Insects, 80% of Earth’s animals, are crucial for a stable ecosystem. Capgemini’s AI enables quicker, expert analysis of insect sounds.
“As a global leader in data and AI, Capgemini has a responsibility to apply its expertise to real-world scenarios that can help create a more sustainable world and drive tangible benefits for our society,” said Niraj Parihar, CEO of the Insights & Data Global Business Line at Capgemini and Member of the Group Executive Committee. Continuing this, he further said, “Through our Global Data Science Challenge, we empower our team members to solve real-world challenges of vital importance to us all. Insects play a central role in our ecosystem but are incredibly hard for humans to monitor. Listening to and identifying insect species is critical to preserving them. I’m inspired to see how our colleagues have collaborated to apply the power of AI to conserve our natural ecosystem and help protect the future of our planet.”
The often overlooked protectors of our global ecosystem
Insects are essential for global ecosystems as pollinators, health indicators, and food sources. Yet they face threats from land use changes, pesticides, urbanization, and climate shifts. Monitoring insects is difficult due to their abundance and invisibility. Acoustic recognition, alongside traditional methods, reveals hidden insect species, assisting necessary conservation efforts.
Elaine van Ommen Kloeke, Programme Manager at Naturalis, said, “Insects play a key role in protecting biodiversity. If we lose insects, it would be a devastation felt, not just by the species that directly rely on insects as a food source, but everyone in the ecosystem, including humans. It could lead to the loss of about 35 percent of the world’s food crops, which means that one out of every three bites of food we eat might be unavailable. The good news is that through collaboration, enabled by organizations such as Capgemini and technological advancements, we can Address this global issue and protect an animal group that’s so important for our global ecosystem. With this initiative, we aim to make this technology accessible to research communities worldwide to support the identification of insects in any given environment.”
The goal of Capgemini’s hackathon, to create AI solutions for real-world problems
Capgemini’s annual Global Data Science Challenge, which empowers all employees to use their data and AI skills to address real-world sustainability challenges, resulted in the successful AI solution.
“We’re very proud to support the Global Data Science Challenge with the use and access of AWStechnologies and expertise. We’ve seen over the years how data and AI can contribute to building a better, more sustainable future, and it’s fantastic to see that come to life through projects such as GDSC,” says Tanuja Randery, Managing Director at AWS EMEA. Tanuja continued, “Along with Capgemini, we have a shared vision to make AI more accessible to developers, researchers and scientists across the world and empower them to progress positive change.”
This year’s challenge aligns with Capgemini and AWS’s joint commitment to use AI, machine learning, and innovative data science tools for societal and environmental impact. To address insect monitoring, teams worked with Naturalis and AWS’s Sagemaker platform. With over 1,500 participants from 30+ countries, the winning team achieved 92% accuracy in identifying insect species.
