S7 E10: AI — Fake Nature, Real Consequences

S7 E10: AI — Fake Nature, Real Consequences

May 27, 2026 · 9 min · Season 7 · Episode 10

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of AI on wildlife imagery and conservation journalism with guest Rhett Butler.

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms media, journalists and conservationists are confronting a new and unsettling reality: What happens when we can no longer trust what we see in nature documentaries and wildlife photography? This week WCS speaks with Rhett Butler, Founder and CEO of Mongabay, about how AI-generated wildlife imagery is beginning to reshape conservation journalism, and why the stakes may be much higher than they first appear. Reporting: Hannah Kaplan Guest: Rhett Butler

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