Thiago Pontes

Brazilian tech innovator creating AI solutions for rainforest conservation and indigenous rights

Thiago Pontes is a Brazilian computer scientist whose AI innovations are reshaping environmental conservation and indigenous rights advocacy. Born in Manaus, Amazonas, he developed Rainforest AI in 2017 - an open-source platform that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to detect illegal deforestation in real-time. This system has prevented over 200,000 hectares of forest loss by alerting authorities to illegal logging activities.

Pontes' partnership with the Indigenous Council of Rondônia has empowered local communities through his Guardian App - a tool that allows real-time reporting of environmental crimes using encrypted messaging. Over 15,000 indigenous people now use this platform, which has led to 300+ successful legal actions against illegal miners and loggers.

His 2020 launch of Cultural AI preserves indigenous knowledge by digitizing oral histories and traditional ecological knowledge. This initiative has created the world's largest digital repository of Amazonian cultural data, used by researchers and communities alike.

Pontes' work was highlighted in National Geographic's 2021 environmental issue and earned him the Global Green Hero Award. He currently advises the Brazilian government's Ministry of Environment on AI policy, advocating for technology that respects both ecological and cultural integrity.