Motion 143

Conservation work rests on a fundamental principle: Evidence.
Camera-trap photos, acoustic recordings, satellite imagery, and citizen-science observations all shape knowledge, inform public policy, and uphold the credibility of conservation decisions.

Yet within just a few months, the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has disrupted this foundation. Images, sounds, and maps can now be created or altered by algorithms, often beyond the capacity of human detection. For an organization built on scientific rigour, transparency, and public trust, this evolution poses a direct threat to the integrity of knowledge and the legitimacy of conservation action.

The challenge, however, is not only technical. AI models consume vast amounts of energy and materials, increasing the environmental footprint of the digital sector and at times contradicting the very principles of sustainability we promote. They also raise ethical and social concerns: unequal access to data and technology, marginalization of local knowledge systems, private appropriation of shared information, and potential violations of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ rights.

Faced with these rapid transformations, there is an urgent need for a common framework for the responsible use of AI in conservation, one that safeguards data reliability, knowledge sovereignty, and ethical coherence across the Union’s activities.

This need coincides with a turning point in global governance: on 26 August 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/79/L.118, establishing an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance. This milestone opens an unprecedented opportunity for conservation voices to influence the emerging global norms for artificial intelligence. If IUCN does not engage now, these standards risk being defined without due consideration for ecological and ethical imperatives.

The motion therefore proposes the creation of an IUCN Strategic, Ethical and Ecological Framework for AI, to be developed through an interdisciplinary process involving the Commissions, Members, and field partners. This framework will aim to:

-Ensure the traceability and authenticity of visual and acoustic evidence;
-Strengthen the transparency and accountability of AI tools used by the Union;
-Promote media and information literacy (MIL) adapted to conservation professions;
- and assess and mitigate the environmental footprint of digital and AI-based solutions.

Implementation would draw on existing resources and programmes related to data governance, scientific communication, and capacity development. Early priorities include:

- A mapping of current AI uses across IUCN entities;
- The creation of a “Conservation & AI” learning module in cooperation with the CEC;
- and active engagement of IUCN in the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

This motion is not a technocratic response, but an act of collective vigilance and responsibility toward a transformation that touches the very heart of conservation practice.
By acting now, IUCN reaffirms its role as an ethical and scientific compass , ensuring that artificial intelligence remains, at the service of life, not at the expense of its truth.