P069 - New Technologies, algorithms and AI in the fight against environmental crime.

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

In the last decade, the authorities in different countries have begun to develop and test new (or not so new) technologies specifically designed to detect and investigate different types of environmental crime. The use of technologies such as Remotely Piloted Aircrafts in wildfires, wildlife crime or waste-related crimes investigation has intensified. Likewise, sophisticated geo-technologies have begun to be used in the fight of illegal waste dumping, deforestation, illegal mining and forest fires.
Specifically in terms of algorithmic and AI tools, the use applications to automatically retrieve data from social media and other open sources available in Internet -web scraping- is becoming an important element in the fight against specific types of organised crime. In this sense, not all types of environmental crimes are susceptible to be investigated by algorithmic and AI tools. Those committed within criminal organisations or networks will be more suitable for the successful use of these investigative technologies.
This poster reflects an analysis of the technologies that are currently being used in the investigation of environmental crime, and a reflection on the possibility of applying algorithmic and AI technologies in the fight against some types of environmental crimes.

Author

• María-Ángeles Fuentes Fuentes-Loureiro, University of A Coruña