Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2026 report understands that while the biodiversity crisis has not yet been fully understood, rapid data and technology advances such as AI offer hope.

The sixth State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report was published on 16 June 2026, which brings together 400 scientists across 40 countries to explore how technology is transforming the race to save nature.

“The report argues technology can be nature’s ally, with digital tools exposing critical gaps in scientific knowledge and highlighting where action is most urgently needed to safeguard plants and fungi,” begins Kew.

For example, in Costa Rica, researchers increased the country’s known fungal diversity by nearly 20% by combining published records with digitised collections, providing new insights into how climate influences fungal distribution and establishing critical baselines for future research. 

Professor Alexandre Antonelli, executive director of Science at Kew, comments on the report:

“The digital revolution is breaking down the barriers of physical distance and access, catalysing more equitable collaboration at a truly global level. While documenting and protecting all life on Earth remain formidable challenges, digitisation and accompanying technologies make me increasingly hopeful that we’ll succeed.”

Kew explains that AI can ‘learn’ how to identify challenging plants such as sedges and peat mosses that have microscopic distinguishing features, helping taxonomists identify species more quickly and pinpoint those that could be new to science.  

The report comes as Kew completes a groundbreaking project, funded principally by the UK government through Defra, digitising all 7.4 million herbarium and fungarium specimens in its collections.

It finishes with a plea to improve, connect and share biodiversity globally, which can be one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to strengthen conservation efforts.

Read about the environmental concerns surrounding the use of AI within horticulture in Pro Landscaper’s March issue.