Climate

National Park Bosland and VITO give nature a voice with AI avatar Bosland

What if we could communicate with nature? For National Park Bosland and VITO, this is now a reality. Groundbreaking technology enables nature to speak through Bosland, an AI avatar. Trained on ecosystem data, this avatar acts as an advocate, translating the state of nature into human language. From data analysis to content creation and stakeholder engagement, this project showcases how AI can be a transformative force. Developed by sustainability expert Milan Meyberg, this innovative technology was unveiled to the world at the Love Tomorrow Conference 2024.

Press release Kristine Verheyden 6 August 2024

Avatars are digital representations or characters that users employ on social media and online platforms to represent themselves. They serve as a visual representation of a person or brand and are often used as profile pictures. An AI avatar, however, is a so-called persona created using artificial intelligence algorithms.

Satellite images, policy documents, and newspaper articles

VITO has provided Milan Meyberg and his team with geospatial data and a set of objective data components derived from satellite images. Additionally, the AI avatar has been fed all relevant information from policy documents and newspaper articles. This way, Avatar Bosland has received highly complementary data from various angles.

Over the past 25 years, VITO has gained extensive experience in translating raw satellite images into useful data and insights. “With this collaboration, we demonstrate the power of technology and data analysis in addressing ecological challenges. The AI avatar allows us to give nature a voice and provides valuable insights crucial for the sustainable management of our natural areas,” says Inge Neven, CEO of VITO.

The AI avatar uses habitat maps derived from satellite images to identify specific living environments within National Park Bosland and to provide insights into their evolution over time. This will help Avatar Bosland to gain a comprehensive overview of the area, both temporally and spatially, enabling it to answer questions about the well-being of National Park Bosland.

Monitoring and protecting biodiversity

National Park Bosland, one of the largest and most diverse natural areas in Flanders, boasts rich biodiversity and a unique natural environment. Through the collaboration with VITO and the deployment of the AI avatar, Bosland will be even better equipped to monitor and protect this biodiversity. This project highlights the importance of innovative technologies in preserving and managing valuable natural areas.

Nele Lijnen, Chair of National Park Bosland, says: "Creating an AI avatar for Bosland through technology and data to gain a better understanding of the well-being of our natural areas? As the Chair of the National Park, I am very grateful for this new tool."

Additionally, VITO’s modeling experts have developed a range of possible scenarios using the 'nature value explorer' tool to simulate the impact of various hypothetical measures on Bosland. This has helped the AI avatar address questions such as, "How can we help you?"

With the AI avatar, National Park Bosland gains a powerful new tool for understanding and managing their natural environment, leveraging advanced AI technology and VITO’s expertise.