discussion / AI for Conservation  / 5 March 2023

Computer Science student looking to work for wildlife

Hello everyone,

I am a master student in Computer Science, with a specialization in AI and computer vision. I like to work with AI, computer vision, drones, sensors, autonomous systems... but I never really though on the purpose of my future career. The more I think about it, the more the idea of working in a tech company on a random subject just to make money seems pointless. I asked myself: what is the thing I would like to work for? As you have probably guessed by now considering the name of this website, my answer is clearly wildlife.

 

However I am not sure on how to achieve that. Where should I look if I want to use my skills for wildlife? Which are the companies or organizations I should apply to after completing my degree? Do companies/organizations for wildlife conservation look for computer vision specialist? Do I need additional education in conservation before a first job?

 

Thanks all, hope to hear your advice,

Virgile


 




Hi Virgile,

Checking out the Conservation Tech Directory might be useful for looking at what companies, organizations, projects, etc. are doing different kinds of conservation tech work! 

Computer vision knowledge is absolutely in high demand in conservation!! Lots of CV and ML advances have been made to process the huge amount of data coming from autonomous sensors like camera traps, bioacoustic recorders, drones, satellite imagery, etc. 

I wouldn't say it's necessary to have a specific degree/education in conservation, but it would definitely be helpful to get some experience with conservation tech project through an internship or something like that. Just so you can better understand the problems conservationists/ecologists have and what solutions are needed.   

Hi Carly,

Thanks a lot for your answer! I will take a look at the directory to see if I can find companies where I could apply in the future.

Have a nice day,

Virgile

Hi Virgile,

I have recruited people into this sort of job you are after. I would say that there are a lot of people with AI, machine learning skills, and deep learning experience, and when we have advertised conservation-AI jobs we do tend to get a lot of graduate computer scientists apply. You want to make yourself stand out from this crowd. I would look for evidence that conservation really is your passion. Are you up to date on the big issues in conservation, do you do any volunteer work, or participate in conservation activities in your local area. If you can demonstrate this genuine interest it will put you at the front of the pack, given the applications I have seen in the past. Then it comes down to how well your specific skills match the needs of the project, so consider how you can bring that out in your application.

Tom