Accenture : and Bombay Natural History Society Launch Platform that Identifies Birds of India Using Artificial Intelligence Technology

Accenture and Bombay Natural History Society Launch Platform that Identifies Birds of India Using Artificial Intelligence Technology

MUMBAI, India; Dec. 30, 2016 - Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a 133 year-old non-governmental organization undertaking nature conservation research, have collaborated on the development of a first-of-its-kind Internet of Birds platform that identifies bird species found in India. Using artificial intelligence technology, including machine learning and computer vision, the cloud-based service uses an Accenture-created image recognition and deep learning platform to quickly and accurately identify bird species from digital photos that are uploaded by the public. As part of its broader corporate citizenship focus on using technology for good, Accenture Labs in Bangalore provided pro-bono services to design and build the platform that leverages data from BNHS. The Internet of Birds platform, available to anyone, anywhere, for free, uses a unique citizen crowd sourcing approach to engage more people in bird watching by identifying key species of birds and inspiring an interest in nature conservation. 'We believe artificial intelligence has significant untapped potential to improve the way we work and live and were attracted to this project because it's this kind of innovation and exploration that is needed to begin tackling big issues,' said Sanjay Podder, managing director, Accenture Labs, Bangalore. 'This platform is a powerful example of how Accenture can apply its deep learning capabilities, which are part of our broader artificial intelligence business, to develop innovative technology solutions that can address business challenges.' India is a biodiversity hotspot and is home to almost 12.5 percent of the world's avifauna, consisting of 1300 species. The Internet of Birds platform can initially identify approximately 100 species but will eventually support all species found in India. 'Birds are excellent indictors of their environment, providing ecological information based on when and where they're located,' said Dr. Deepak Apte, director, BNHS. 'With the rise of amateur bird watchers across India, we are happy to have Accenture help us capitalize on all the information they can capture. This helps us encourage citizen science by involving more people in nature conservation activities.' The Internet of Birds platform can be accessed here: http://internetofbirds.com/.
About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions - underpinned by the world's largest delivery network - Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 394,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Accenture Labs Accenture Labs incubates and prototypes new concepts through applied R&D projects that are expected to have a significant near-term impact on clients' businesses. Our dedicated team of technologists and researchers work with leaders across the company to invest in, incubate and deliver breakthrough ideas and solutions that help our clients create new sources of business advantage. Accenture Labs is located in seven key research hubs around the world and collaborates extensively with Accenture's network of nearly 400 innovation centers, studios and centers of excellence globally to deliver cutting-edge research, insights and solutions to clients where they operate and live. For more information, please visit www.accenture.com/labs
About Bombay Natural History Society BNHS, based in Mumbai, is one of the oldest wildlife research NGOs in South Asia and has been working on nature conservation and research projects in all parts of the sub-continent over the past 133 years. Currently it is engaged in nearly two dozen projects in collaboration with the Government of India, state governments, international research organizations, corporations and other NGOs; related to vultures, migratory birds, bustards, elephants, tigers, caecilians and marine life, among others. It is working in myriad habitats including forests, mangroves, grasslands, seas and wetlands. BNHS is also engaged in nature camps, nature trails, nature education, wildlife publications and is also the biggest natural history collection in India. Its souvenir products and the library are very popular. For more information, please visit www.bnhs.org.

# # #

Contacts: Kiran Balasubramanian Accenture
kiran.bala@accenture.com
BNHS Contact: Bilwada Kale, PRO
pro@bnhs.org