Healthy Land & Water recently hosted 40+ business enthusiasts at a thought leadership forum that explored “Generative AI and regenerative nature: Can AI inform smarter sustainability and climate resilience and response."

Hosted by our Chief Science & Sustainability Officer, Andrew O’Neill, we were joined by thought leaders and industry experts to discuss if AI can deliver the missing piece in informing climate resilience preparedness and response and fast-tracking sustainability.

With the Brisbane River (Maiwar in the Indigenous Turrbal language) as our backdrop, the rooftop terrace at the Brisbane Powerhouse was buzzing with energy as nature enthusiasts gathered to hear from leading AI specialists about generative AI and its role in regenerative nature.

Our first speaker was Rita Arrigo, a renowned digital strategist from the National AI Centre. Rita shared her insights on “AI Tools for Nature: Trends and Potential,” highlighting Australia’s growing adoption of AI in environmental programs. She discussed initiatives like the Healthy Country AI program, which supports Indigenous rangers with adaptive learning to care for country. Rita also explored how AI is aiding efforts to restore giant kelp forests and using mapping tools to track feeding events of coral trout.

Kerrie Mengersen, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centre for Data Science at QUT (and Bayesian enthusiast), presented on “Leveraging Data for Better Decision-Making in Nature Conservation.” Her talk asked important questions: Can AI help drive smarter sustainability, climate resilience, and preparedness? Can it provide the missing link in fast-tracking sustainability efforts?

Kerrie shared exemplars of how AI is being used for climate resilience and sustainability in Australia including:

• Climate modelling.
• Early warning systems.
• Conservation efforts.
• Precision agriculture.
• Energy prediction.
• Ocean life and plastics monitoring.
• Ecosystem evolution simulations under future climate scenarios.

She shared case studies, including the use of AI as a virtual reef diver to classify coral on the Great Barrier Reef, and highlighted her work with us here at Healthy Land & Water, using Bayesian technology to map potential koala populations as part of our koala conservation projects.

Kerrie concluded with a powerful reminder that while AI can support conservation work, it can’t replace the need for people to be part of the decision-making process and to care for the environment in the first place. She underscored that AI is a potentially powerful tool – but it’s up to us to ensure the planet remains sustainable. “AI can’t grow a tree. It won’t make a difference if we don’t look after our environment in the first place,” she said.

Forward-thinking serial entrepreneur, Peter Lazou linked into the conversation online from Milan to share his concept, “Giving Data a Voice: the untold stories of data”. Peter, who wears many hats in nurturing ventures and startups, uses AI across various industries, including sports science for enhancing athletic performance, injury prevention, and longevity. He talked about using this to work on nature based and sustainability issues. Peter also talked about how he’s using AI to help empower communities by connecting isolated groups to global markets through data. He wrapped up his session with a thought-provoking question: "Data speaks. The world listens. Are we ready to act?"

The day concluded with our guest speakers featuring on an interactive panel session, facilitated by Cathy Robinson, Principal Research Scientist at the CSIRO discussing questions including:

• How can we harness AI to fast-track sustainability and climate resilience?
• How does tech support finance in regenerative nature?
• What does AI offer – is there value in investing here?
• Can AI help make the shift from ESG reporting to creating real on-ground change?
• How do we make this happen? What else is missing?

Thank you to our guest speakers for their insightful contribution to how AI will impact the regenerative nature space and the opportunities ahead for climate resilience and response. We will be closely watching this space and seeing how we can better use AI to increase the health and liveability of our region.