Bezos Earth Fund Announces $30 Million in AI Grand Challenge Awards

The winning projects span five continents, from an AI-driven coral reef monitoring network in the Pacific to a weather forecasting model designed for African farmers. They include efforts led by The Nature Conservancy, Yale University, The Wildlife Conservation Society, Cornell University, and The New York Botanical Garden, among others.

Following this announcement, awardees will put their solutions into action over the next several years. During this period, they will test, refine, and evaluate the impact of their approaches, sharing insights and results along the way.

“At the Bezos Earth Fund, we’re focused on making AI work for the environment — not the other way around,” said Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki, Director of AI at the Bezos Earth Fund. “These projects show how AI, when developed responsibly and guided by science, can strengthen environmental action, support communities, and ensure its overall impact on the planet is net positive.”

The awardees were chosen following a global innovation sprint supported by partners including Amazon Web Services, Google.org, Microsoft Research, Ai2, and Esri, who provided mentorship, tools, and computing resources to help move ideas from concept to impact. These collaborations highlight the growing ecosystem of scientists, technologists, and environmental leaders working together to unlock AI’s potential for sustainability. 

The Phase II Awardees are:

• Bioversity International USA – Developing a “Rumen Digital Twin” to reduce livestock methane emissions.
• Cornell University – Using AI to optimize electric vehicle charging for renewable grid stability.
• Cornell University, Lab of Ornithology – Deploying edge AI to detect poaching and monitor biodiversity via sound.
• Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) – Applying neural networks to speed up cultivated meat production.
• Food Systems Innovation (Humane America Animal Foundation) – Designing an open-source AI model for sustainable protein products.
• National Audubon Society – Launching a community-powered AI network to track bird populations in Latin America.
• New York Botanical Garden – Automating plant species identification with computer vision and AI.
• Revive & Restore – Using AI to assemble and interpret genomes for endangered species conservation.
• The Nature Conservancy – Deploying edge AI to curb illegal fishing in the Pacific.
• The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (American Heart Association) – Creating “Swap It Smart”—an AI tool for healthier, more sustainable recipes.
• University of Leeds – Building an AI platform to convert food waste into microbial protein.
• University of Plymouth – Developing AI tools to map and protect deep-sea ecosystems.
• University of Witwatersrand – Creating FineCast, an AI-powered weather forecasting toolkit for Africa.
• Wildlife Conservation Society – Using computer vision to map and protect climate-resilient coral reefs.
• Yale University – Building an AI-enabled model to predict the carbon removal potential of ocean interventions.

Together, these innovators represent the next wave of environmental leadership — proving that when directed with care and purpose, artificial intelligence can help both people and nature thrive.