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News in brief By harnessing crowd-driven artificial intelligence (AI) to provide reliable, real-time information, the two organizations hope to revolutionize how we follow and manage changes in our environment. SAS is committed to building a global community of innovators who use technology to ignite positive change for people and the planet, while IIASA is known for its expertise in systems analysis and for providing policy solutions to address pressing concerns for humanity. Today, many Earth systems are experiencing rapid changes – changes that exceed the capabilities of traditional modeling. A prime example is forests. Through the use of AI, SAS and IIASA aim to develop a better understanding of deforestation and, in parallel, to elucidate the interconnectivity of Earth’s ecosystems. “By combining the power of our environmental science research platforms with SAS’ AI and computer vision technologies, and the sheer intellectual power of concerned citizens, we will develop AI models that will exponentially increase the value of human insights and strive to deliver near real-time assessments of global environmental change,” explains IIASA Director General, Albert van Jaarsveld. Effective AI models cannot simply be conjured up. They must learn from a basis of human intelligence for development. The more we train them the more powerful they become. For this project, SAS and IIASA jointly launched an online app to gather collective intelligence. They are asking volunteers – an army of citizen scientists from high-school students to data scientists – to support this effort by examining evidence of human impact through analysis and categorization of Amazon rainforest images – principally those depicting deforestation. “The human eye is remarkably good at observing patterns and visual changes – often better than a computer – and it’s great to be able to put that to work,” says IIASA researcher Ian McCallum. Harnessing the collective efforts of people worldwide will significantly accelerate development of the model. The greater the public engagement, the more powerful the model will become; thereby expediting vital policy responses to protect our forests. Since its launch, thousands of users from 80 countries have contributed to the app; analyzing and reporting on over 40,000 images. Additionally, the geographical scope of the project is expanding within Brazil and to parts of Bolivia and Peru. Gaining a better understanding of the changes occurring in these areas will build the predictive modeling foundation. The plan is to develop the app further and so allow users to classify and report on drivers of deforestation as seen in the images, thus leading to a more intelligent, effective model. Combining the power of the crowd and AI, SAS and IIASA are elaborating a robust and versatile platform that empowers citizen scientists to contribute to cutting-edge research. An endeavor that highlights how each of us can play a part in shaping, and ultimately thriving, in the world we share. Mustering an army of citizen scientists to help guard the Amazon Ian McCallum: mccallum@iiasa.ac.at Further info: www.iiasa.ac.at/news/SAS-20By Greg Davies-Jones This year, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, SAS and IIASA joined forces to transform crowd-sourced data into actionable intelligence to help track deforestation in the Amazon. 7Optionswww.iiasa.ac.at Winter 2020