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SUMMARY:Can Agentic AI Accelerate IUCN Red List Assessments? - Shane Weisz
 \, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20260213T130000Z
DTEND:20260213T140000Z
UID:TALK241936@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:114742
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract*\n\nThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is one o
 f the world's most important conservation resources–often referred to as
  a "Barometer of Life". It provides a standardised\, evidence-based assess
 ment framework for grouping species into extinction risk categories (from 
 Least Concern to Critically Endangered) using quantitative criteria. The R
 ed List is thus a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiv
 ersity\, and guides policy and conservation action worldwide. However\, Re
 d List coverage is constrained by funding and availability of trained asse
 ssors. This results in significant data gaps (for example\, fewer than 2% 
 of invertebrates have been assessed)\, and a long tail of outdated assessm
 ents (over 25% are at least 10 years old). In this talk\, I'll share initi
 al research into how agentic AI could support the Red List workflow. I'll 
 present results showing that AI coding agents can reliably pass the offici
 al Red List assessor training exam–and\, crucially\, explain their answe
 rs with citations to official guidelines. I'll also demonstrate how I leve
 rage agentic coding to rapidly develop and maintain a real-time "evidence-
 base" dashboard\, integrating live citizen science observations with relev
 ant scientific literature. I'll close by outlining plans for next steps an
 d future research directions\, and then open the floor to questions and hi
 ghly-welcomed feedback.\n\n*Bio*\n\nShane Weisz is a first-year PhD studen
 t in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge\, supervised by Profe
 ssor Anil Madhavapeddy. His research focuses on AI to support global biodi
 versity conservation. \n\n
LOCATION:Room GS15 at the William Gates Building and on Zoom: https://cl-c
 am-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/4361570789?pwd=Nkl2T3ZLaTZwRm05bzRTOUUxY3Q4QT09&from=ad
 don 
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