Earth Matters Conversations with Lauren Sánchez Bezos
A Conversation with Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Tom Taylor: Optimism, AI, and Quarter Three
In a wide-ranging conversation, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, sat down with Tom Taylor, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, to discuss the promise of artificial intelligence to help protect nature and our climate, and what they are excited about for the future.
Starting Fresh: A New Perspective
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: Tom, you’re still relatively new to the Bezos Earth Fund. How long has it been now?
Tom Taylor: I started in July - so less than a year.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: A fresh perspective can be incredibly valuable. How are you approaching this work, and what are you seeing that those of us who’ve been here longer might have stopped noticing?
Tom Taylor: I feel fortunate to join at this moment. We’re at a point where there's a real reason for optimism because we know far more about the climate system and how models work than we did even a few years ago. We’re seeing positive tipping points in areas like electric vehicles, solar, and energy more broadly.
We’re no longer in a place of “we don’t know what to do.” We do know what to do. We need to conserve nature, transition to cleaner energy, protect and transform food and agriculture systems, and invest in engineering solutions to capture greenhouse gases.
What excites you about our work right now?
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I am very excited about a new partnership we will be announcing with Re:wild, a nonprofit organization that protects and restores the wild, in June. We already support their conservation work in the Brazilian Amazon and marine protection work in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Protecting nature is such a core part of what we do.
And, we have announced new grants on sustainable fashion. We are making awards through the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to support independent designers and emerging talent. We are also funding some of the top researchers to find amazing new ways to sustainably grow cotton, produce silk, and rayon. From lab to label, we are funding the scientists changing what fashion is made from.
Tom Taylor: As an engineer, I see this as a problem to be solved. At Amazon, I learned not to ask, “What could we get done?” but “What must we get done?” If we know what must be accomplished in the next 10 to 15 years, then we build the plan backward from there. That mindset is powerful. If you start with what you think you can get done, you’ll never climb the mountain. Start with the mountaintop and then figure out how to get there.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I love that. I’m taking that home - not just for work, but for my kids. “What must we get done?” It completely changes the mindset.
The AI Grand Challenge: From Bold Bet to Real Impact
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: Let’s talk about the AI Grand Challenge. It’s a bold $100 million commitment at a time when people aren’t sure where AI is headed. From your vantage point, where do you see AI making the most tangible impact in climate, conservation, and agriculture?
Tom Taylor: Great question. There’s still a lot of handwaving around AI, but what impressed me about the Grand Challenge was seeing real, applied use cases. AI is a tool to strengthen the work already happening.
Take satellite data - no human can process that volume of information, but AI can. It can track migratory paths, monitor ecosystems, and reduce illegal fishing. It enables better monitoring on the ground, leading to better decisions.
A concrete example is our work with the World Resources Institute. They have Global Forest Watch, which uses satellite data to determine whether trees were planted and whether they were still alive. With AI, that evolved into Global Nature Watch and now the system can identify what kind of tree was planted, how tall it is, and whether it’s actually thriving over time.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: That is truly amazing. Our AI Grand Challenge recipients really demonstrate that AI can be a powerful ally to help make the world a better place. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is doing some amazing things using AI to detect poaching and monitor species’ biodiversity using sound. And the Wildlife Conservation Society is using computer vision now to map and protect coral reefs.
That’s the part that really hits me. This isn’t abstract. These are real people in real ecosystems using these tools. And the speed is incredible - what used to take years now happens in months.
Seeing the Work
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: You and I have both had the chance to travel and see this work firsthand. Has anything you’ve seen with our teams inspired you in unexpected ways?
Tom Taylor: I come from manufacturing, where we say you have to get out on the floor to understand what’s really happening.
It’s inspiring to see nature’s beauty - but equally inspiring to see the scientists doing the work. I’ve visited Imperial College to see genetics research, and the Smithsonian Institution to observe efforts to understand what’s happening to bees. Seeing the people on the ground - those making progress day by day - deepens the connection.
There’s also something powerful about physically experiencing these places. Astronauts talk about the “overview effect”- seeing Earth from space and realizing its fragility and unity. Even if I never travel to space, being on the ground in nature can have a similar transformative impact.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I couldn’t agree more. I came back from space more inspired than ever about this work. When you see the blackness beyond Earth - the absence of life - you understand this is it. This is our home. It changes you.
Tom Taylor: That perspective is powerful. We’ve said this is the best planet in our solar system, and that’s worth protecting.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: William Shatner said something that has stayed with me. His take was darker than mine, but he looked out at the vastness of space and said it was like death. There is no life. You know what I mean? Then he looked back at Earth and said, that is love. That is life. We need to protect it.
Why This Work, Why Now?
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I know how I got here and why this work is personal to me. I would love to know what drew you to it?
Tom Taylor: I describe this as quarter three of my life - not the end, but the third quarter. It’s the stage where you take your experience and wisdom and give back. I looked at several areas - healthcare, education, energy - but this work feels like a chance to work hard, have fun, and not just make history, but be part of making the future.
Every generation should leave the world better for the next. When I heard the statement that everything in the world has improved over the last hundred years except nature, that really struck me. I want to help change that.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I understand completely. While researching for my second children’s book, The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea, I became a little obsessed with what I was learning. We know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the bottom of our own ocean. I have already seen how much we can accomplish with the Bezos Earth Fund, and there’s still so much more we can do!
From Doom and Gloom to Hope
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: I see firsthand how you’re bringing energy and hope to the team. Climate conversations can often feel heavy, and we’re trying to inspire people to show what’s possible.
Tom Taylor: Hope is critical. When you ask people what they’re doing about climate, they mention small actions like using a metal straw or skipping a plastic bag. But people want to do more.
There are thousands of actions individuals can take - renaturalizing a lawn, changing eating habits, supporting systemic change. A billion people making small improvements makes a massive difference.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos: And these aren’t sacrifices. We have so many opportunities. That’s why we always say we’re going to invent our way out of this.