
Show Notes
Title: Episode 87: The New AI Frontier in Forestry: Inside UPM’s Arnibot Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the world of forestry. But what does that mean in practice?
In this episode of Forest for the Future, we explore UPM’s AI-powered assistant, Arnibot, and what it reveals about the digital transformation of forest management. How can an AI agent support decision-making in complex forest operations? How do you ensure reliability, prevent hallucinations, and maintain alignment with standards and procedures? And what role could certification systems like FSC play in the future development of such tools?
Host Loa Dalgaard Worm is joined by Joonas Palonen, AI Architect from UPM’s AI Center of Excellence, who unpack how Arnibot was developed, who uses it, and how it is continuously evaluated and improved. The conversation also looks ahead to what comes next—from multimodal interfaces and image recognition to potential applications in planning and certification contexts.
This is a forward-looking conversation about technology, trust, and the evolving interface between artificial intelligence and responsible forest management.
More from Forest For The Future - Podcasts
Title: Episode 89: Can Managed Forests Help Canada Meet Its 30x30 Conservation Goal? Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Conservation is often associated with national parks and protected areas. But what about places that are delivering benefits for biodiversity while being managed for other purposes? In this episode of Forest for the Future, we return to Canada to explore Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures, or OECMs, and their potential contribution to the country’s 30x30 conservation goal.
Title: Episode 88 – Fueling the Future — or the Fire? Biofuels, Energy Security and the Pressure on Forests Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: In this episode of Forest for the Future, we step a little outside the forest itself and into the world of energy policy. With oil prices volatile and supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, governments around the world are racing to secure their energy supply. One of the tools many are turning to is biofuels, blended into diesel and petrol and often produced from crops such as palm oil, soy, sugarcane and maize. That can sound like a climate win. But it can also mean new pressure on forests, peatlands, food systems and the communities who depend on them. Host Loa Worm is joined by Patrick Schröder, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, to explore whether biofuels can really deliver energy security without driving deforestation. From Indonesia’s move from B40 to B50, to Brazil’s ethanol experience, India’s blending programmes and the challenge of indirect land-use change and deforestation, the conversation looks at how today’s political decisions on energy can ripple all the way into the forest. The episode also explores the role of certification systems such as FSC, RSPO and ISCC. Patrick explains why certification can be a genuine safeguard, but not a political shortcut. Biofuels are neither a silver bullet nor a villain. It all depends on how they are governed.
Title: Episode 86: Climate Change and FSC – Managing for Climate Impacts featuring Christian Messier, Amy Cardinal, and Vivian Peachy Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Climate change is no longer a distant risk for forests — it is already reshaping ecosystems, livelihoods, and forest management decisions across Canada and the world. In this final episode of the Climate Change and FSC mini-series, we turn our attention to managing forests for climate impacts.
Title: Episode 85: Climate Change and FSC – What Is a Climate Vulnerability Assessment? Featuring Dr. Sheri Andrews-Key and Kevin Gillis Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Climate change is often described as uncertain and complex, yet forest managers still need to make decisions today. In this second episode of the Climate Change and FSC mini-series, we move from framing the challenge to exploring one of the key practical tools used to support climate adaptation in forestry: climate vulnerability assessments.
Title: Episode 84: Climate change and FSC – Setting the stage, featuring Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General at FSC International, and Valarie Courtois from the Indigenous Leadership Initiative Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Climate change is already reshaping forest ecosystems around the world, with profound implications for how forests are managed, governed, and protected. In this first episode of the Climate Change and FSC mini-series, we set the stage by zooming out and exploring why climate change matters for forests — and why systems like FSC must adapt in response.