The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the aggravating biodiversity crisis have resulted in a research area where AI-based computational methods are being developed to act as allies in conservation, and the sustainable use and management of natural resources. While important general guidelines have been established globally regarding the opportunities and challenges that this interdisciplinary research offers, it is essential to generate local reflections from the specific contexts and realities of each region. Hence, this document aims to analyze the scope of this research area from a perspective focused on Colombia and the Neotropics. In this paper, we summarize the main experiences and debates that took place at the Humboldt Institute between 2023 and 2024 in Colombia. To illustrate the variety of promising opportunities, we present current uses such as automatic species identification from images and recordings, species modeling, and in silico bioprospecting, among others. From the experiences described above, we highlight limitations, challenges, and opportunities for in order to successfully implementate AI in conservation efforts and sustainable management of biological resources in the Neotropics. The result aims to be a guide for researchers, decision makers, and biodiversity managers, facilitating the understanding of how artificial intelligence can be effectively integrated into conservation and sustainable use strategies. Furthermore, it also seeks to open a space for dialogue on the development of policies that promote the responsible and ethical adoption of AI in local contexts, ensuring that its benefits are harnessed without compromising biodiversity or the cultural and ecosystemic values inherent in Colombia and the Neotropics.
View on arXiv@article{cañas2025_2503.14543,
title={ Inteligencia Artificial para la conservación y uso sostenible de la biodiversidad, una visión desde Colombia (Artificial Intelligence for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, a view from Colombia) },
author={ Juan Sebastián Cañas and Camila Parra-Guevara and Manuela Montoya-Castrillón and Julieta M Ramírez-Mejía and Gabriel-Alejandro Perilla and Esteban Marentes and Nerieth Leuro and Jose Vladimir Sandoval-Sierra and Sindy Martinez-Callejas and Angélica Díaz and Mario Murcia and Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano and Jose Manuel Ochoa-Quintero and Susana Rodríguez Buriticá and Juan Sebastián Ulloa },
journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.14543},
year={ 2025 }
}