Students at the Paulo Freire Full-Day State Education Center (Ceti) in Guarabás, southern Piauí state, developed a project that combines biology and artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge to aid in the conservation of organisms vital for ecological balance and agriculture.
The project, named PolinizAI, functions as a monitor for pollinators and bioindicators, such as fireflies. Students participate in fieldwork, taking photographs, cataloging information, and gathering testimonies from local residents and veteran farmers in the region.
Bioindicators reflect specific ecosystem conditions, including pollution and degradation, as they are sensitive to environmental impact. Teacher Amanda Sousa explained that through 'offline AI, we work on organizing and comparing this data to understand patterns. The classroom content is related to what they observe where they live.'
According to the Piauí State Secretariat of Education (Seduc), the project arose from the need for regional residents to better understand observed climate and environmental changes. After completing data collection, the team plans to create a website so that students, teachers, and farmers can continue to track and monitor regional biodiversity records.
Student Fernanda Maia explained the goal of creating the website: 'The idea behind the website is to gather what we are researching and make this information accessible. We want it to help other people learn about the region's pollinators and track the records so the work continues and benefits the community.'