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Incident 1159: Government‑Backed AI4Peat Mapping Tool Allegedly Misidentifies Granite Outcrops and Quarries as Peat

Description: The UK's AI4Peat mapping project, developed by Natural England with Microsoft, was reported to produce significant misclassifications of peatland across England. Farmers and residents reportedly identified rocky outcrops, stone walls, woods, and non‑peat soils incorrectly labeled as peat bogs. Critics reportedly warned that such errors could mislead conservation policy and funding decisions in environmental management.

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Alleged: Natural England and Microsoft developed an AI system deployed by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , Defra , Natural England and Government of the United Kingdom, which harmed Farmers in the United Kingdom , Landowners in the United Kingdom , Conservationists in the United Kingdom , Policymakers in the United Kingdom , Environmental restoration programs in the United Kingdom and General public of the United Kingdom.
Alleged implicated AI system: AI4Peat

Incident Stats

Incident ID
1159
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2025-05-10
Editors
Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident OccurrenceGovernment’s AI peatland map ridiculed for confusing bog with rock
Government’s AI peatland map ridiculed for confusing bog with rock

Government’s AI peatland map ridiculed for confusing bog with rock

thetimes.com

Government’s AI peatland map ridiculed for confusing bog with rock
thetimes.com · 2025

Ministers have been left red-faced after unveiling the first AI-generated map of Britain's peatlands --- only to have it comprehensively debunked by the people who live in the areas.

Local residents have reported that the government's state…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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