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{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-11-27T23:05:16+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-11-27T23:05:16+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-11-28T05:49:56+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22167/news/technology/rwanda-deploys-ai-to-help-boost-gorilla-conservation", "headline": "Rwanda deploys AI to help boost gorilla conservation", "description": "An innovative solution is being rolled out in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park where AI would be used to conserve mountain gorillas and at the same time...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22167/news/technology/rwanda-deploys-ai-to-help-boost-gorilla-conservation" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64986.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64986.jpg" }, "articleBody": "An innovative solution is being rolled out in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park where AI would be used to conserve mountain gorillas and at the same time empower communities around the park. Dubbed “interspecies money,” the system allows mountain gorillas in the park to raise money for their conservation through digital wallets powered by AI-facial recognition. Last week, the initiative was named among the top ten implausible-sounding scenarios for 2025 by The Economist. ALSO READ: Restored land expected to improve habitat for mountain gorillas The platform has successfully been piloted on 20 mountain gorillas in the park. It is expected to enable the apes to pay for essential conservation services, such as hiring park rangers to remove snares set by poachers. These digital wallets, similar to mobile money accounts like Momo, link the gorillas to the financial system, allowing funds to be spent on protecting their habitat and ensuring their well-being. Created by Tehanu, an Africa-based startup, the system also offers financial incentives for local communities to participate in wildlife conservation. People in rural areas can earn money by completing tasks that support the ecosystem, such as photographing wildlife, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species. ALSO READ: Experts call for more involvement of policymakers in wildlife conservation In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Jonathan Ledgard, the CEO and co-founder of Tehanu, said the project is a transformative initiative that could redefine how humans interact with the natural world. He noted that the system creates digital identities and wallets for wildlife, recognizing the vital role gorillas play in Rwanda’s ecosystems and economy, and helps build a real-time database of biodiversity, benefiting both the environment and the local economy. “By integrating both wildlife and humans into the financial system, the interspecies money initiative aims to create a circular economy that fosters mutual prosperity.” Ledgard stressed that people in rural areas can earn money by completing tasks that support the ecosystem, such as photographing wildlife, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species. “In Kigali, you can send money to your village using Momo. Now imagine a bat, a tree, or even a gorilla being able to receive and spend money, all for services that benefit them,” Ledgard stated. ALSO READ: Rwanda to double budget on biodiversity restoration The initiative aims to recognise the often-overlooked but essential services that non-human species provide to the ecosystem, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and soil regeneration, and to integrate them into the economy. Ledgard’s system intends to create a circular economic system that benefits both humans and wildlife by acknowledging this value and using it to support local communities. Through the project, 20 mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park were given digital wallets linked to AI-powered facial recognition systems. These wallets allow the gorillas to spend funds on services that protect their habitat. The technology goes a step further, using AI to analyse the gorillas’ behaviours and assess their needs, identifying patterns that could help predict and address threats to their welfare, he added. “For example, AI might recognize a gorilla’s behaviour and suggest that a ranger remove a snare or that a researcher tracks its movements for conservation purposes,” Ledgard explained. The AI could also be used to identify the preferences and needs of other species, like elephants or even trees. “While the project is focused on mountain gorillas, the long-term goal is to extend the system to a wider variety of species, including those that provide important ecological functions, like the straw-coloured fruit bats and insects vital for pollination. Recognising their economic value could help protect these species and their contributions to the ecosystem.” He stated that Rwanda was chosen as the ideal place to launch the initiative due to its progressive conservation efforts and technological adoption. Ledgard, who previously worked on pioneering projects like Zipline’s drone delivery system for medical supplies, believes that the country’s strong governance and open-minded approach to innovation make it a perfect testing ground for the interspecies money project. “Interspecies money intends to directly benefit local communities, where people could earn money for simple actions like photographing birds, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species,” he said. These small tasks would provide a new source of income and contribute to a real-time database that monitors Rwanda’s biodiversity. Additionally, farmers could receive financial incentives for actions that promote species diversity in their agricultural practices. Ledgard envisions that by 2050, Rwanda will experience improvements in soil health, forests, and wildlife. “By introducing financial incentives to protect biodiversity, people will start to see it as a valuable asset both economically and ecologically,” he said. The system looks forward to building emotional connections between people and wildlife, as the success of the project relies on more than just economic factors. It requires people to care about these species. “People need to feel a sense of connection to these species for the system to work,” Ledgard said. He said that while the project is still in its early stages, it has great potential to change how people approach conservation and value biodiversity. If successful, it could set an example worldwide, showing that recognising the economic value of animals and nature can help protect them and create benefits for both humans and the environment.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Mbabazi" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }Alec Baldwin’s Western “Rust” had its world premiere at a film festival in Poland Wednesday, but the actor wasn’t present because he wasn’t invited. Baldwin’s presence would have been too “distracting,” said Kazimierz Suwała, the director of the international EnergaCamerimage film festival in the city of Torun. “We didn’t invite Alec Baldwin, and we never considered doing so,” Suwała told The Hollywood Reporter. “That would be too distracting. What this is about is honoring Halyna’s dreams for her work.” Suwała is referring to Halyna Hutchins, the Ukrainian-born cinematographer for “Rust.” Hutchins, an up-and-coming talent in the industry, was killed in October 2021, after Baldwin pointed a gun at her during a rehearsal on the film’s set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. The gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired. Though the veteran film and TV star called Hutchins’ death a tragic accident, he was charged with manslaughter. However, the case was ultimately dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution had failed to turn over evidence. It’s not known whether Baldwin would have gone to the festival if he were invited, said TMZ, which reported that he was spotted in New York City Monday, pushing a stroller. While Baldwin didn’t travel to Poland to walk the red carpet or to promote “Rust” at the screening, organizers held a moment of silence for Hutchins, the Associated Press reported . The festival is a popular industry event that is devoted to cinematography. Souza, a Palo Alto-based filmmaker and Fremont native, then introduced the film. Souza told the audience that he initially couldn’t imagine trying to finish the film after Hutchins’ death. “It just hurt too much,” he said. But Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, wanted the film to be finished, and came on board as executive producer. Baldwin also wanted to finish the film and returned to the set, which had moved to Montana. But like Baldwin, Matthew Hutchins didn’t attend the premiere. Moreover, Hutchins’ other family members also boycotted the event. “It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen,” Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, who lives in Ukraine, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital . “Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter.” “Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death,” the statement from Solovey continued. “Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter. That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of ‘Rust,’ especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter.” It’s questionable whether anyone involved in the making of “Rust” will see much profit from it. It could be released sometime in the United States, but it’s not clear when or if it will been screened in movie theaters or go direct to streaming. NBC News reported that the audience response at the premiere was “polite.” “Rust” follows the story of a 13-year-old boy who is sentenced to be hanged after he fatally shoots a rancher by accident. He goes on the run with his estranged grandfather, played by Baldwin. The audience clapped through the film’s closing credits, strengthening their applause when a dedication to Hutchins appeared, NBC News reported. But a fair number of moviegoers left the theater before the credits ended and prior to a Q&A with Souza and with cinematographer Bianca Cline, who completed the movie on Hutchins’ behalf. New York-based film industry expert Rob Rosenberg said “Rust” could get “butts in seats” because of the public’s curiosity. Related Articles Entertainment | Duct-taped banana sells for $6.2 million at art auction Entertainment | LeBron James says he’s taking a social media break for now Entertainment | Pamela Hayden, longtime ‘Simpsons’ voice actor, including Bart’s friend Milhouse, hangs up her mic Entertainment | Simone Biles to join Snoop Dogg as a guest mentor for an episode on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ Entertainment | 'Euphoria' star Storm Reid not returning for season 3 “It’ll be interesting to see if there is a group of people who choose to stay away from the film entirely due to Halyna Hutchin’s death,” Rosenberg, founder of Telluride Legal Strategies, said in an email statement. “People may also choose to see the movie because they might be curious about how they finished the film after the tragic shooting.” Meanwhile, organizers of the EnergaCamerimage festival defended giving the film its world premiere. “Yes, I know it has become divisive,” Suwala told The Hollywood Reporter. “Some felt we were doing it for promotional reasons and that it was inappropriate to screen a film that resulted in a death. But for us, the motivation was very simple. Halyna had a strong connection to this festival. She attended several times. And we were contacted by her friends, who told us that before shooting even began on ‘Rust,’ she told them that the film was very important to her and it was her dream to screen it at Camerimage.” One of those friends, cinematographer Rachel Mason, made an emotional speech at the premiere to defend the film. “I feel strongly that I need to make a statement about a very misunderstood film and the people who made it, who I believe are heroic people,” said Mason, who worked on a documentary about completing the film after Hutchins’ death. Mason said that everyone involved wanted to help Hutchins’ family by completing the film. “When they learned that this film ‘Rust’ might help Halyna’s family, they thought of one thing: the fact that she has a son, and that son doesn’t get to have a mother anymore,” Mason said. “And if they could do something for that little boy, then why would they not be there?”top646 xom 。

NoneWASHINGTON — Matt Gaetz, who faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, abruptly withdrew his bid to become attorney general Thursday in the first major political setback for President-elect Donald Trump since his election this month. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations, but his prospective nomination ran into trouble in the Senate, where Republicans were deeply reluctant to confirm someone to run the same Justice Department that once investigated him for allegations of sex trafficking an underage girl even though no charges were brought.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Dior Conners led Appalachian State with 19 points and Myles Tate made a jumper from the free-throw line with 25.1 seconds left as the Mountaineers knocked off Sam Houston 66-63 on Wednesday night. Conners shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 9 for 10 from the line for the Mountaineers (4-2). Tate scored 17 points, going 6 of 14 from the floor, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and 2 for 4 from the line. Jackson Threadgill had 11 points and shot 4 for 11, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc. Lamar Wilkerson led the way for the Bearkats (3-3) with 22 points. Marcus Boykin added 11 points, five assists and four steals for Sam Houston. Dorian Finister also had 10 points and seven rebounds. Threadgill scored nine points in the first half and Appalachian State went into the break trailing 33-30. Tate scored a team-high 10 points for Appalachian State in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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