AI-Powered App Helps Identify Invasive Species in NZ

New Zealand's University of Canterbury has developed an app to help identify and report on invasive species that threaten the country's flora and fauna.

Find-A-Pest allows users to submit photos of organisms for identification by a team of experts.

The app uses AI to suggest possible matches based on its database and provides information on pests' habitats, hosts and distribution.

Since its launch in 2018, the app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times, and users have submitted over 20,000 observations.

The tool is particularly helpful in enabling users to detect invasive species early, before they have time to colonise new areas.

The app is designed to be used by anyone who wants to protect the New Zealand environment, and its data is available to support biosecurity efforts across the country.