Stevenson Swanson is Associate Director of Public Relations at The New York Botanical Garden.

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Problem: There are far more unidentified plant specimens at botanical gardens and other research institutions than there are plant scientists to study them. Those specimens undoubtedly include new species waiting to be discovered and other valuable biodiversity information crucial to global plant conservation efforts.

Problem: Women, and especially women of color, are underrepresented in the tech industry. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center report, only 25 percent of computing jobs are held by women, down from 32 percent in 1990.

An innovative approach to a solution: The New York Botanical Garden’s current artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration with Break Through Tech, an initiative of Cornell Tech that fosters gender equity in the tech industry by preparing women and nonbinary students from diverse backgrounds to pursue tech careers.

This exciting collaboration promises to push the boundaries of technology and botanical research. Nearly 500 undergraduate students nationwide are participating in the Break Through Tech AI program during the spring semester, combining their technical abilities with NYBG’s expansive data and scientific expertise, together with the guidance of volunteer software engineers, the majority of whom are from Google.

The aim is to advance biodiversity research by leveraging machine learning to classify a dataset of nearly 123,000 images, including digitized plant specimen images from the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium. The images are broken down into 10 categories such as herbarium specimens, drawings, and photographs.

The challenge is for students to devise algorithms that will sort the images into the correct categories. The project is taking place on Kaggle, Google’s data science competition platform, where students compete and share datasets on its public data platform. Emily Sessa, Ph.D., the Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the Steere Herbarium, and Damon Little, Ph.D., NYBG’s Curator of Bioinformatics, are coordinating NYBG’s collaboration with Break Through Tech.

“The idea is to identify all of the categories correctly as different research questions require different types of images,” said Dr. Little, who created the dataset. “The students are scored on accuracy for all categories.”

The Kaggle Datathon is part of the Spring Semester AI Studio component of the 10-month Break Through Tech AI program. The program has three parts: a summer course that trains students on industry-relevant technical tools, Fall and Spring Studio (two experiential learning opportunities for students to apply the tools), and a career readiness and mentoring program that occurs throughout the student journey. This is the largest, most diverse program of its kind in the nation, and it is free for qualifying undergraduates.

The placement rate for paid internships or jobs is 80 percent.

NYBG recognizes the critical role that AI can play in advancing our understanding of the natural world. By providing powerful tools for data analysis, pattern recognition, and modeling, these applications will contribute to a deeper understanding of plant biology, ecosystem dynamics, and sustainable practices in the face of global challenges such as the dual climate and biodiversity crises.

“Our botanists are thrilled to engage with Break Through Tech students nationwide and with the many technical volunteers on Google’s Kaggle platform,” said Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden. “We aim to widen our capability to leverage data to further our mission and to inspire students to consider organizations like ours as they pursue their careers in the field, because we want to lead the world in understanding the role of plants and fungi in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. We cannot do that without acknowledging the computational aspect of that ambition.”

AI in botany extends beyond scientific research and into various aspects of our lives, influencing how we grow food, address environmental challenges, and interact with the natural world.

“Everyone will benefit from these advancements through improved health, environmental sustainability, and a deeper connection to the ecosystems that sustain us,” said Dr. Judith Spitz, Ph.D., Executive Director and Founder of Break Through Tech. “Our greatest line of defense is the people who are at the table solving these challenges on behalf of humanity; we are dedicated to training that pipeline of talent and thrilled that our students can work with the Botanical Garden, Google, and our incredible partners at Cornell Tech, MIT’s Schwarzman College and UCLA’s Samueli School of Engineering on such an important issue.” 

Kaggle, the world’s largest data science community and platform, has worked with Break Through Tech AI students since the program’s inception.

“Googlers from all over the world were interested in volunteering for this datathon because they’re passionate about the intersection of technology, nature, and climate,” said Sarah (Hendo) Rosenberg, Senior Program Manager, Tech Education Outreach. “We are thrilled that Break Through Tech brought us together again this year; by joining forces with NYBG’s advisors, Google volunteers will play a crucial role in supporting Break Through Tech students as they tackle this real-world challenge together.”

At semester’s end, NYBG will host a closing celebration for New York-area students on Sunday, April 21.