“Now, for the first time in history, anyone can carry out archaeological investigations.” This presents a community science project sponsored by the Openai artificial intelligence giant, which It encourages the public to use AI tools to analyze the existing data of the Amazon jungle In search of vestiges of old -fashioned cities.
The Openai challenge Z has summoned technology experts from around the world, but has also received criticism from archaeologists, indigenous communities and technological ethics specialists, who argue that he ignores important research standards, such as The consultation with the more than 300 indigenous groups living in the jungle. Last week, the Brazilian government demanded OpenAI to address these concerns.
“It is irresponsible,” says Michael Heckenberger, an archaeologist at the University of Florida, who dedicated the last three decades to identify old indigenous settlements through the mapping of archaeological elements in the Amazon, in collaboration with the Kuikuro people. Hepsberger explains that many international conventions and codes establish that research in indigenous territories or on indigenous heritage requires free and informed consent of indigenous peoples. “There should be a formal consultation route, particularly with Indigenous peoples, who have historically denied their basic rights of sovereignty”
The contest offers an award of up to $ 250,000 in cash and credits for OpenAi products to those who find previously unknown sites using the company’s artificial intelligence tools to analyze public access data, such as satellite and laser images, and archaeological studies. In addition to ethical concerns, his name also caused controversy when evoking a search for the imperialist past: The search for an imaginary “lost city of Z” by the British explorer Percy Fawcett at the beginning of the 20th century in the Brazilian Amazon.
With an extension of more than 6,000,000 km² (12 times the size of Spain) and covering nine countries, the Amazon jungle It houses the history of past civilizations and serves as an active home of numerous indigenous groups.
And the truth is that it would not be difficult considering that A study suggests that There are more than 10,000 pre -Columbian archaeological remainsincluding geoglyphs and settlements, hidden under the canopy of the Amazon.
Resources such as satellite images and Lidar are helping to complete the gaps in this part of the previously unknown world, aroused interest in the region and monopolizing international headlines. There are rumors of a “lost city” in the Amazon, as well as legends such as Paititi and El Dorado. While some academics believe that “z” is probably Kuhikugu, A mosaic of 20 settlements in the headwaters of the Xingú River, all these legends point to dense ancient civilizations that hope to be discovered. There is a pressing need for greater collaborative research to identify and preserve these archaeological sites, constantly threatened by deforestation and development.
Now, for the first time in history, anyone can carry out archaeological investigations. By combining open source source collections, archaeological maps and indigenous stories, a fragmented path arises that opens The possibility of new discoveries that complete the missing pieces of the puzzle.
“We challenge you to give life to legends through the search for previously unknown archaeological sites, using open source data -points out the contest website -. The findings must be reasonably limited to the Amazon bioma in northern South America. The approach focuses on Brazil, with the possibility of extending on the outskirts of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela and French Guayana”
The problem is that, according to the Agreement on indigenous and tribal peoples of 1989ratified by Brazil, indigenous communities must be consulted and involved in decisions about their heritage and land. While the treaty does not specifically mention the use of artificial remote sensing and intelligence data, which were not widely available when the document was written, Experts believe that the need for consultation is still valid.
However, other researchers see the contest as an opportunity. Archaeologist Francisco Pugliese, from the University of Brasilia, organized an international team that presented a proposal to the contest. The equipment seeks to apply Satellite images tools to detect geographical signals of human occupation In the Amazon. He argues that the archaeological research promoted by AI is inevitable, so scientists should discover how to use it responsible. “Either we control this process … or will surely end in the hands of those who believe in the lost city of Z,” concludes Pugliese.