Assessing the misuse of AI-generated bat images in media

Theme: Biodiversity and conservation science, Science education and communication

Description: 

Miscommunication contributes to inaccurate understanding of biodiversity. Although bats provide importance ecosystem services, 80% of bat species are of conservation or research concern. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of bats in media and scientific articles has increased substantially, often with visual representations of irrelevant species or those generated by AI. Such misuse of images can only exacerbate the current poor understanding and negative perception of bats, hindering their conservation. This project will assess the prevalence of irrelevant or AI-generated images of bats in media. The project will also discuss the opportunities and risks of using AI-generated images for conservation.

Additional Information: 

This is a desktop study and can be done by anyone with an interest and passion for conservation and science communication. Any knowledge on bats would be an advantage but it will involve a bat expert so no prior knowledge is necessary.

Contact: Assoc Prof Tatsuya Amano