Foraging Tools: How AI is Transforming Wild Food Collection -

AI is Transforming Wild Food and AI has the potential to revolutionise wild food collection and could bring fresh perspectives to traditional foraging. Smart foraging tools could help people spot mushrooms and understand their growth patterns better. These AI-powered mobile apps could teach eco-friendly harvesting methods too.

New technology creates great opportunities for beginners and experts alike. However, questions about responsible foraging and AI’s reliability need thought and answers though.

Traditional wisdom meets artificial intelligence in unique ways. Accurate plant identification remains crucial when foraging for anything. Through this piece we will look at how AI transforms modern foraging and balances state-of-the-art technology with proven expertise.

Understanding AI-Generated Foraging Resources

Foraging education has changed dramatically since AI-generated resources emerged. AI-authored books have flooded Amazon’s marketplace, and more than 3,000 titles now list ChatGPT as an author or co-author. These AI-generated materials have affected the foraging community and brought new possibilities along with several challenges.

Overview of AI-written foraging books and guides

AI-generated foraging guides stand out from traditional resources with several unique features:

These guides run shorter at 100-200 pages while traditional guides stretch to 500 pages
Prices are by a lot lower than standard guides
Content appears in a simplified, condensed format
The guides lack specific regional focus
Often no expert has verified the information

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform now allows these AI-created materials to reach readers within hours of creation, which reflects a growing trend in self-published content.

How AI generates content from existing sources

Large language models combine information from online sources and published manuscripts to create AI-generated information. These systems process big amounts of data and create content. They cannot verify if facts are accurate or appropriate in context. The technology creates content that sounds believable instead of ensuring accuracy. Obviously this can become a huge issue when it comes to generating foraging related content as it’s seriously imperative that the information is as accurate as possible, the downside of such (in an extreme circumstance) could lead to someone consuming a deadly toxic species and dying.

Potential benefits of AI-created educational materials

AI technology shows promise to boost education with proper implementation, despite some concerns. AI tools streamline administrative tasks and let educators dedicate more time to hands-on instruction and student connections. Students and teachers can benefit from this technology in several ways:

Traditional educational approaches change with new methods
Teaching practises improve through tech integration
Students develop better critical thinking skills with AI as a support tool
Learning becomes more interactive and meaningful

Note that at the moment AI can help identify common species, but we stress that no one should rely on it alone to determine what’s safe to eat.

This technology works best to support rather than replace traditional foraging education methods. I always say, even when we’re using our standard books, that we should be checking at least 3 different sources when identifying something new or that we’re unsure of. Pictures in different locations and slightly different habitat can lead to things looking slightly different. Also one persons description can be quite different than another, I may describe the miller as smelling of wet washing whereas someone else may describe it as freshly milled flour, that doesn’t take in to account how it may actually smell to you compared to me.

AI’s role in foraging education needs a careful balance between state-of-the-art solutions and safety protocols. These tools could create better learning experiences and simplify educational processes. Expert guidance and traditional knowledge systems remain essential partners for safe and effective foraging practises.

As a test we created Freddie the Fungi to test, we uploaded the majority (there’s some we haven’t added to it yet) of our human written identification and field guides, and it uses these guides as the research base for answering mushroom related questions.

You can view and ask it questions here

Risks and Limitations of AI-Generated Foraging Content

AI-generated foraging resources have sparked most important concerns among experts and seasoned foragers. Dangerous misinformation poses real threats, especially when you have mushroom foraging where precision determines survival.

Lack of expert verification and quality control

AI-generated foraging content has reliability issues. Recent studies highlight significant problems with accuracy and verification methods. The numbers paint a concerning picture. The leading plant identification app, shows only 73% accuracy in its results & Mushroom identification apps perform even worse. The best app in this category correctly identifies mushrooms only 49% of the time. I have only personally tested a few but found that Seek by Inaturalist tends to have the best results in identification. However, as mentioned earlier this should never be the whole extent of identification and only one of many steps.

Potential for dangerous misinformation

AI-generated misinformation can have devastating effects. A UK family suffered poisoning after they relied on an AI-generated field guide to identify mushrooms.

Mushroom identification presents a particularly dangerous scenario because AI systems often fail to distinguish toxic species from edible ones. Carleton University’s fungi specialist, Professor Myron Smith, calls these AI-generated guides “totally irresponsible.” He emphasises that only an experienced human eye can detect the subtle differences between edible and toxic species, However I would argue that over time these could be greatly increased among AI.

Absence of regional specificity and contextual knowledge

AI-generated guides often miss significant regional context and seasonal variations that matter for safe foraging. When I was in Italy I remember coming across something that looked very like a death cap mushroom to me and I was like ‘there’s absolutely no way we’re going near that. However the other guide we were with said ‘I eat these all the time, I actually ate some this morning with family for breakfast’

After spending a good amount of time in different books and guides I found out it was a Amanita citrina var. alba which happens to be really common where we were specifically based.

It really highlighted the absolute key in local knowledge as if this person came to the UK without finding local information it could be very possible they’d consume a death cap by accident.

Ethical concerns around plagiarism and copyright

As with pretty much every industry there’s always going to be concerns over plagiarism when it comes to AI generated information.

AI-generated foraging content raises serious ethical issues beyond safety concerns. Recent studies show these AI guides frequently plagiarise content from authors and experts with decades-old expertise. They copy both the style and substance of respected foragers. This practise undermines these experts’ years of dedicated research.

Plenty of leading mycological societies and foraging experts have raised alarms about these AI-generated guides. Pretty much every Mycological Society I know of strongly advises against buying foraging books from unknown authors. They emphasise that accurate identification knowledge could save lives and inaccurate information could cost lives.

Evaluating the Reliability of Foraging Information Sources

Reliable sources of foraging information have become increasingly significant as digital tools and AI applications continue to expand. Botanical experts and experienced foragers stress the need for verified, trustworthy resources that ensure safe and environmentally responsible harvesting.

Key indicators of trustworthy foraging guides

Reliable foraging guides display several significant features that set them apart from potentially dangerous resources. These indicators help readers identify trustworthy information:

Detailed botanical descriptions with scientific names
Clear photographs that show multiple growth stages
Specific habitat information and seasonal variations
Detailed safety warnings and look-alike species
First hand information and experience (in our Mushroom Foraging guide we often have a section that’s our harvesting notes on the species, like ‘Although it can grow with any hardwood I often find it growing about 3-4 meters away from oak trees)
Environmentally responsible harvesting guidelines
References to scientific research or expert knowledge

Cross-referencing multiple reputable sources

Safety and accuracy depend on a careful verification process. We always advise that checking multiple sources reduces the risk of misidentification by a lot. We suggest you should:

Consult at least three reputable guidebooks
Compare descriptions across different seasons
Check regional variations and specific locations
Confirm identification through as many characteristics as available
Take your time, once you think you have an identification leave it for 30 minutes and then come back to it and go again.

Role of community vetting and expert reviews

Community expertise proves it right when it comes to foraging information.

Guided walks and hands-on learning are a great way to get practical knowledge. Of course we offer these types of Foraging experiences.

These experiences come with several benefits:

You build confidence in plant identification through direct observation and expert guidance.

Foraging walks turn theory into practical skills.

Instructors point out misidentification risks and environmental factors carefully.

The community aspect helps preserve traditional knowledge and cultural practises.

Experienced foragers can share their hands on knowledge about eco-friendly harvesting methods and other general personal information

Foragers can often make the species and identification more relatable than books. A book might say the volva remenants, whereas a forager can actually show you the volva reminants and explain exactly what that means with a visual of the species in hand.

Responsible Use of AI in Foraging Education

Artificial intelligence integration with foraging education could create unique opportunities that complement traditional learning approaches.

Teachers and experienced foragers could now find new ways to use AI capabilities. This approach could help us preserve the human elements of wild food collection.

Combining AI tools with expert-led learning experiences

Modern foraging education thrives on AI tools and hands-on instruction working together. Apps like iNaturalist (the one I tested and thought worked best, especially with fungi) have showed success by helping foragers identify plants through global user networks and determine species prevalence in specific regions. These digital resources could complement traditional learning methods instead of replacing them. AI processes plant images at remarkable speeds – up to 100,000 daily, equal to eight years of human work. This makes it a powerful tool for original identification.

Developing critical thinking skills for information evaluation

Critical thinking skills are crucial to forage safely and successfully.

Especially when it comes to Fungi there’s really a lot of different elements to take into consideration when identifying a species, it could be as simple as it growing next to a beech or birch that is the key difference between two species.

When we’re learning to forage we need to develop several critical thinking components:

Question assumptions and evaluate evidence
Analyse information from different viewpoints
Process complex data to make informed decisions
Identify risks and safety concerns (like with the information I know, this thing I have in my hand could be one of three different things, one of them is deadly toxic so I’m never going to eat this one)
Check multiple reliable sources against each other

Emphasising hands-on practise and sensory learning

Experiential learning is the life-blood of effective foraging education. I believe that children can start identifying plants at any age, and some show remarkable abilities as early as 18 months. I actually used to teach foraging as part of Forest School, when I led that and I was always astonished by how quickly children would pick up identification of certain species. My daughter is just 15 months and can already reliable identify blackberries – simply because she absolutely loves eating them.

What’s my Conclusion on AI in foraging?

AI’s integration into foraging practises represents a radical alteration in how people discover and identify wild foods. Modern AI tools are a great way to get support for original plant identification and learning. Studies show accuracy rates below 50% for some AI identification apps, which highlights why verified information sources and expert guidance matter so much. Technology should complement traditional foraging knowledge rather than replace it.

Learning to forage requires a balanced approach that blends advanced technology with proven expertise. Safe and eco-friendly wild food collection depends on expert-led instruction, hands-on experience, and community knowledge. Foragers have passed down traditional ecological knowledge through generations. This knowledge provides vital context and understanding that AI systems cannot match today. These foundations, improved by selected technological tools, create a reliable framework for modern foraging while preserving cultural and practical wisdom.

I think if you could have a system that analysed information and could come back to the user for more clarification and questions, with visual and the best would be video based guidance on these questions then there could be something quite spectacular there.

Imagine, you pick up a mushroom, take a video of it and submit to an identification guide. It comes back and says ‘it looks a little like XYZ, the next thing I need to help you is a video of the volva, this is found at the base of the mushroom, let me show you this video of where to find it’ Then you take a video of that and send it back. Then it asks you to take a video in a 360 degreee around you to get an idea of what plants and trees or habitat is around you.
And so on and so on.

Now that could be really quite special.

Let’s look at the FAQs we receive about this…

What are the concerns about AI-generated wild food books? There’s a growing trend where AI-generated wild food books are entering the market. These books are often created by entities with little genuine interest in foraging. They target beginners with misleading marketing strategies, offering books that are of poor quality and potentially dangerous due to inaccurate information.

How can you identify potentially AI-generated foraging books? AI-generated foraging books often exhibit certain characteristics: they may bundle multiple “books” into one with minimal content per “book”, mimic titles from reputable sources, and feature low-quality, possibly AI-generated images. These books are typically thin, with a length ranging from 105 to 128 pages, and the content might be overly simplistic, resembling a school report.

Are the authors of these AI-generated books real? It’s likely that the authors of these AI-generated foraging books are fictitious. Investigations into their backgrounds typically yield no verifiable information, and they are not known within the foraging community or seen teaching at relevant events.

How can one verify the authenticity of a foraging book? To verify the authenticity of a foraging book, look for detailed author biographies and their involvement in the foraging community. Check the quality and depth of the content, and read through a range of reviews, particularly those from verified purchases. Cross-referencing the book’s information with reputable sources can also help ascertain its reliability.

References

Foraging Tools: How AI is Transforming Wild Food Collection