Conference Call for abstract: Ecosystem Service x AI (May 2026| Czechia)

[Masahiro Ryo]

The 6th ESP Europe Conference (18-22 May 2026 | Prague, Czechia) 

X8 - Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services: opportunities, challenges, and governance

This session aims to initiate a structured, critical dialogue on the integration of AI, including Generative AI (GenAI) and Machine Learning (ML), into ecosystem service (ES) research and practice. Its primary goals are to: 

• Showcase innovative applications: Present recent AI/ML advances supporting ecosystem service mapping, monitoring, valuation, and decision-support. 

• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration: Foster dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at the intersection of AI and ES. 

• Reflect on governance perspectives: Discuss how frameworks such as the EU AI Act may influence future applications, while maintaining focus on scientific and practical advances. 

• Address ethics and inclusivity: Explore fairness, transparency, and integration of diverse knowledge systems, ensuring AI tools do not marginalize local or Indigenous knowledge. 

• Introduce the ESP Thematic Working Group: Present the structure and aims of the new ESP platform on “AI and Machine Learning for Ecosystem Services,” fostering long-term interdisciplinary collaboration. 

• Assess opportunities and challenges: Identify where GenAI can enhance ES knowledge generation, integration, and communication, while critically examining methodological, ethical, and policy implications, including risks of bias, reproducibility issues, and legitimacy concerns.

the call for abstracts: The deadline for submissions is 31 December.