Can AI detect smuggled sea cucumbers?

Scientists have created a new computer program that can spot hidden sea animals in luggage at airports. The program uses artificial intelligence, or AI, to find seahorses, shark fins, and sea cucumbers that people try to smuggle illegally. This new tool could help stop the harmful trade of ocean wildlife. The researchers hope airports around the world will use this technology soon.

Wildlife trafficking is a huge problem around the world. Every year, people illegally sell about $20 billion worth of plants and animals, according to police organizations. Many of these illegal items are sea creatures like sea cucumbers, seahorses, and shark fins. People buy these animals to use as medicine or food, even though it's against the law. Most of these animals pass through airports without being caught by security.

The scientists trained their AI program using special X-ray machines that airports already have. They took hundreds of pictures of 68 dried sea animals using these machines. The computer learned to recognize the shapes and patterns of these smuggled items. After studying all the images, the AI program could correctly identify the hidden animals 92 percent of the time.

Dr. Vanessa Pirotta led this research at Macquarie University in Australia. She was amazed that AI became such an important part of her work with sea animals. The X-ray technology helps security look inside luggage and packages without opening them. This means officials can better understand how smugglers change their methods over time.

The AI program is meant to help human workers, not replace them. It will work alongside security guards and special dogs that are trained to find illegal items. Dr. Pirotta wants to make the detection system even better at catching wildlife smugglers. The goal is to protect ocean animals from being taken illegally and sold around the world.

The next step is putting this technology to work in real airports. Dr. Pirotta hopes these AI programs will help fill gaps in current security efforts. This could make it much harder for people to smuggle sea creatures and other wildlife through airports.