More than 150 cases of forest changes have been identified in the Nizhny Novgorod region using artificial intelligence as part of the "Digital Forest" project.

      In the Nizhny Novgorod region, 156 confirmed forest changes have been identified using artificial intelligence from the information system "Digital Forest." The regional Ministry of Forestry reported that the automation of processes not only significantly reduces the time spent by specialists but also allows for the prompt conduct of forest pathological examinations and timely appointment of sanitary and health measures. The development of services using artificial intelligence is part of the federal project "Digital Platforms in Social Sphere Industries" of the new national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State." "Modern digital tools are becoming a reliable assistant in forest protection. With the help of artificial intelligence, the condition of nearly 4 million hectares of forest fund is continuously analyzed using satellite images. The high accuracy and speed of data processing allow for the rapid detection of any changes - from violations of forest legislation to the consequences of natural phenomena. Over the past year, computer vision algorithms helped identify 151 areas with damage from gusty winds and five areas with deadwood - this allows for timely measures to be taken," emphasized Roman Vorobyov, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife Protection of the Nizhny Novgorod region. AI has been implemented in the regional system since 2025. Before that, only ground patrols were used to identify changes in forests, and then drones were added. Artificial intelligence was trained on nearly 7,600 reference images, which allows it to analyze current high-resolution satellite images with maximum accuracy. Additionally, the artificial intelligence system conducts regular monitoring of logging processes on forest fund lands. Currently, as a result of the analysis, forest inspectors have checked nearly 3,000 plots. The inspection results showed that there are no signs of violations of forest legislation on these plots. It should be noted that since 2025, a national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State" has been in effect in Russia by order of President Vladimir Putin. It includes eight federal projects: "Infrastructure for Access to the Information and Telecommunications Network 'Internet,' "Digital Platforms in Social Sphere Industries," "Artificial Intelligence," "Digital Public Administration," "Domestic Solutions," "Applied Research and Prospective Developments," "Cybersecurity Infrastructure," and "Personnel for Digital Transformation." It is planned that the national project will improve the public services system, create digital platforms in key sectors, implement domestic IT solutions across all sectors of the economy, and enhance communication services.