Google is partnering with the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) to use artificial intelligence (AI) in preserving endangered species, including those in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The collaboration provides AI tools and funding to sequence the genetic codes of threatened animals, a move that could improve conservation strategies in biodiversity-rich regions.
Scientists estimate that up to one million species are at risk of extinction worldwide. To address this, Google is deploying AI technologies, including DeepPolisher, DeepVariant, and DeepConsensus, to make genomic sequencing faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective. Sequencing a species’ genome creates a “biological instruction manual” that helps researchers design measures to protect them.
“Understanding a species’ genome could be the key to their conservation,” wrote Lizzie Dorfman, group product manager, and Andrew Carroll, product lead for Genomics at Google. “By sequencing these animals’ genomes, their complete set of genetic instructions (DNA), scientists are able to support efforts to preserve the genetic diversity of these animals and prevent further loss of their species.”
The initiative has already sequenced 13 endangered species, several native to Southeast Asia. These include the Elongated Tortoise, currently part of captive breeding programs; the Hog Deer, facing significant population decline; and Eld’s Deer, which requires conservation plans to survive.
Google.org has also awarded the AI for Science fund to The Rockefeller University to expand this work to 150 additional species. The genomic data produced will be freely available to researchers, offering a valuable resource for countries like the Philippines, home to unique species such as the Visayan Spotted Deer (Pilandok).
Sequencing the first human genome once took 13 years and $3 billion. Today, AI tools developed by Google allow the process to be completed in days at a fraction of the cost, while correcting errors to provide accurate genetic information.