Imagine a world without butterflies fluttering in gardens or ants bustling underfoot. Scientists warn that insect populations are collapsing at 1,000 times the natural extinction rate—but a Canadian AI project called Antenna is racing to reverse this crisis.
The Silent Crisis
\"We’re losing biodiversity faster than we can track it,\" says Maxim Larrivee, director of Montreal’s Insectarium. Using solar-powered camera traps and AI, his team aims to double 150 years’ worth of ecological data in just 2-5 years. From Panama’s rainforests to Canada’s Arctic, UV lights snap insect photos every 10 seconds, feeding an AI model that IDs species like a supercharged entomologist.
Tech to the Rescue
David Rolnick, an AI biodiversity expert, reveals the project’s jaw-dropping potential: \"In Panama, we discovered 300 new species in a week—this is just the tip of the iceberg.\" The team’s open-source platform could soon monitor deep-sea life and agricultural pests too. But first, they’re mastering moths—160,000 species strong and key to food chains.
Bugs + Bytes = Hope
At Montreal’s Insectarium, visitors use AI apps to ID butterflies, blending education with conservation. \"If we don’t know nature, we can’t protect it,\" says museum director Julie Jodoin. Meanwhile, French traveler Camille Clement cheers the tech—with a caveat: \"Use AI meticulously.\"
With 90% of Earth’s 10 million insect species still undocumented, Antenna’s mission isn’t just sci-fi—it’s survival.
Scientists warn that insect populations are collapsing at 1,000 times the natural extinction rate—but a Canadian AI project called Antenna is racing to reverse this crisis. 
From Panama’s rainforests to Canada’s Arctic, UV lights snap insect photos every 10 seconds, feeding an AI model that IDs species like a supercharged entomologist. 
The team’s open-source platform could soon monitor deep-sea life and agricultural pests too. But first, they’re mastering moths—160,000 species strong and key to food chains. 
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