Aris Karalis
Using AI to spot endangered plants being sold illegally online.
PhD Start: 2025
Research Theme: AI for the Natural Environment
Project Title: Multimodal Large Language Models for Illegal Wildlife Trade of Flora Monitoring
My Research: I am working to detect illegal listings of endangered plants in online marketplaces, and to pull out useful information about them using both the text and the images in a listing.
This matters because rare plants, such as certain cacti and orchids, can take decades to grow. When poachers take them from the wild, the ecosystems they leave behind struggle to recover. By finding these trade networks online, we can measure the size of the market and tackle the problem in a far more informed way.
How I got here: I studied Computer Science for my BSc and Artificial Intelligence for my MSc, and I chose this project from SustAI's list of proposals.
Working with Kew: I will be working with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. My third supervisor is a conservation science expert from Kew, and we will use an Expert-in-the-Loop approach, where conservationists share their knowledge to refine and improve the machine learning models I am building.
Beyond my research: Outside my research, I look after my plants and my own little vegetable garden. I also enjoy barbecues and board games, and I am looking forward to getting involved in outreach and public engagement.
After my PhD: I am not entirely sure yet. Working for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew sounds like a great opportunity, though I am also enjoying academia, so a post-doc is another path I am considering.