Every Californian has experienced the impact of invasive species.
Statewide, entire forests are harmed by bark beetles and other invaders. Oak borers are spreading and killing native oaks, boring into healthy trees, damaging them until they collapse. Quagga mussels and golden mussels, fingernail-sized invaders infesting California waterways, clog the water pumps and pipes responsible for distributing water to millions of people and vast stretches of farmland. Downy brome, an invasive weed, infiltrates grassland and increases wildfire risk in the Great Basin region.
The destruction from invasive species is quickly creeping forward, but luckily, we have one critical tool in our arsenal: artificial intelligence.
AI-assisted technologies are playing a crucial role in helping scientists detect and contain invasive species before they cause irreversible ecosystem damage. Not only does this benefit California’s natural ecological balance — upon which local industries and economies depend — it helps the broader American economy.
Invasive species cost the U.S. economy an estimated $644 billion between 1970 and 2020, disrupting ecosystems and threatening our food supply.
California, with its international ports, extensive agricultural output and diverse habitats, is especially vulnerable. Despite best efforts, scientists are often left playing catch-up while invasive species spread.
The core problem is delayed awareness.
By the time an invasive organism is flagged by researchers, the population is often already beyond containment, requiring cross-jurisdictional coordination and substantial resources.
Traditional scientific methods to address these outbreaks — field surveys, lab diagnostics, regulatory identification processes — are rigorous but slow, allowing invaders to destroy California’s land and waterways.
This is where AI has changed the game for researchers.
AI is now an indispensable tool for increasing the speed and precision of reviewing vast, complex data sets and spotting patterns invisible to the human eye. In the fight against invasive species, this productivity boost is transformative, saving scientific teams critical time in the lab and shortening the time required to successfully implement solutions. Moreover, early detection allows for a more targeted use of resources, lowering economic cost.
Imagine a drone flying over wetlands, its onboard camera scanning for invasive plants. The AI model immediately flags suspect organisms for removal, a process that otherwise would take months.
Another example is cutting-edge uses of environmental DNA, where scientists test water samples for traces of invasive organisms. Sifting through this genetic data once took weeks, but with machine learning, it now takes hours, allowing near real-time detection of invasive pathogens before they spread to critical water infrastructure. AI isn’t just protecting the health of our wetlands, it is strengthening our security by mitigating threats to public health.
State-of-the-art AI and machine learning research methods are now used by scientists in our discovery and development platform to find natural product solutions to control invasive species. These tools amplify the capacity of scientific teams, dramatically increasing both speed and specificity of their research.
Scientists apply their expertise while AI provides the powerful computational capacity to quickly analyze vast datasets. This time has already allowed teams to discover significant, new solutions for control of burrowing shrimp in Washington State in less than one year, providing proof of concept that ISC can quickly find a solution to any invasive species.
The challenges posed by invasive species mirror the challenges in other time-sensitive fields, like public health, climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture. AI is a tool accelerating discovery and action in each of these sectors, revolutionizing the way we address systemic, societal issues.
Enabling AI innovation in California and nationwide has incredible return on investment for our natural resources, economy, health and scientific leadership.
Pam Marrone is co-founder of the Invasive Species Corp. in Davis and an expert in biological pest management.