A new piece of AI is literally going after sharks. But it’s attached to a drone, so it can warn surfers and beachgoers if a shark gets too close.
SharkEye, as the AI-powered drones are called, is being deployed on beaches in California. The drone can quickly spot sharks and warn people that they are swimming offshore. The equipment is also being used to conduct research on shark populations. The University of California developed the technology and is launching the project.
After seeing a shark, the SharkEye drone can instantly send a message to people who subscribe to local shark warning messages. This often includes lifeguards, surf shop owners, and parents of children taking surfing and swimming lessons at the beach.
Great White Training
The AI drone naturally trains itself using all sorts of data about shark behavior, so the idea is that it will eventually recognize what type of shark it spots. Great white sharks in particular are a species that SharkEye should be wary of, as they are the species that most often attacks humans.
Drones have been used to spot sharks for some time, but AI should be able to better distinguish between animals like dolphins and seals. CNN writesA previous study found that human-piloted drones detect sharks only 60 percent of the time.
Check your photos with the app
The University of California wants to make its AI model freely available to researchers, and is working on an app that would let others analyze their own images. For example, lifeguards or drone enthusiasts could upload their own footage to identify sharks swimming around.
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