Can AI help us to counter polarisation in the forest?

Can AI help us to counter polarisation in the forest? In search of an answer, researchers invited a range of forestry stakeholders to find out what they want from digitalisation. The insights identified three areas where new technology could be useful in countering conflicting objectives.

Conservation organisations, government agencies and forestry companies are all examples of the stakeholders who took part in a workshop organised by Mistra Digital Forest and WASP-HS, a social science research programme that focuses on how AI affects people and society. Several technology companies specialising in forestry and nature conservation were also in attendance.

– The forest encompasses many conflicting objectives. For instance, we want the forest to replace fossil raw materials, but it is also vital for biodiversity and for outdoor recreation. We are at a crucial stage where we have access to detailed data, but where we must also ensure that technological developments are relevant to all forestry stakeholders, says project leader Joakim Wising, a PhD student of political science at Umeå University.

Attitudes towards new digital technology vary quite considerably, according to Joakim Wising. Some people are firmly convinced that big data and precision forestry can help resolve conflicting objectives, while others believe that there are some forestry interests that can never be reconciled. Certain interests – such as recreation – are also more difficult to quantify.

– A fair digitalisation of the forest begins by finding out what the stakeholders themselves want, and where their concerns lie. First, we begin by drawing on the stakeholders’ own perspectives in order to see how they can be represented in data, and in new digital decision-support tools.

The workshop identified three areas where new technology can help to ease conflicts of interest:

1. Improving forest owners’ ability to manage their forests

New technology can facilitate diversified forestry practices where it is easier to measure forest values. This opens the door to new business models. For example, where forest owners are compensated for forestry practices that promote biodiversity, or for the ability of their forests to sequester carbon. The challenges here are that large amounts of data are required, and that some stakeholder perspectives are more difficult to measure than others. Politicians must also facilitate new business models.

2. Data for decision-making

With the help of vast amounts of detailed forest data, it is possible to create digital twins – a virtual, up-to-date replica of a forest area. Here, the consequences of various measures can be simulated, making it easier to balance different interests in the decision-making process. One risk factor is that the data contains uncertainties that need to be addressed in order to avoid creating a misleading digital twin, which could lead to decisions being made on the wrong premises.

3. A common basis for discussion

Technology can provide stakeholders with a shared understanding, which is needed to balance competing interests, and to promote sustainable forestry. Digital tools should facilitate dialogue – rather than replacing it. The challenge here is to address how expertise, access to data and the ability to fund new technology may vary between different stakeholders.