This talk describes the novel use of AI to detect hidden archaeological sites. With machine learning, the AI can quickly become an expert and find sites that human experts miss. This can inform sustainable land management and help to protect sites of historical importance globally.

Iris is the founder of ArchAI, a startup that is de-risking land development by automatically detecting geo-risks including archaeology. She built the company on the back of her PhD which focused on the use of deep learning for archaeological site discovery based on earth observation data. Her PhD followed undergraduate and masters degrees in Archaeology. Iris taught herself how to code and do machine learning. She demonstrated the value of the AI technology with a case study on the Isle of Arran where the AI found over 130 true sites, verified by Historic Environment Scotland experts. With ArchAI Iris has received numerous grants including from Royal Academy of Engineering and the European Space Agency. ArchAI has built the technology to a national coverage and its customers include the Forestry Commission and the National Trust. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx