{
  "id": 16255551,
  "title": "Could AI help protect Malaysia’s precious gaharu trees?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/could-ai-help-protect-malaysias-precious-gaharu-trees-16255551",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/10/24/could-ai-help-protect-malaysia-s-precious-gaharu-trees"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gaharu, a fragrant resin produced by certain Malaysian trees, holds significant cultural and economic value. In Peninsular Malaysia, five Aquilaria species, including Aquilaria malaccensis, are recognized for producing gaharu. The resin forms within the wood when the plant is wounded, infected or stressed, making wild populations particularly vulnerable. Demand for gaharu far exceeds supply, and illegal harvesting further threatens these trees.\n\nResearchers and fragrance companies are investigating the potential of artificial intelligence and biotechnology to reproduce gaharu's scent without harming wild populations. Companies like Osmo are developing AI systems to analyze molecular relationships and predict scents, helping identify substitutes for rare ingredients. Some even claim to have reproduced the scent of a rare tree using minimal bark samples.\n\nBiotechnology firms are growing plant cells in labs, producing fragrance compounds without relying on wild trees. Malaysia's biodiversity database lists Aquilaria malaccensis as Critically Endangered, while Aquilaria hirta is Vulnerable. International trade in Aquilaria species is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Cultivated trees may not produce resin with the same qualities as wild sources, which is why naturally produced gaharu remains in high demand.\n\nWhile AI and biotechnology may help reduce pressure on wild populations by providing some fragrance compounds, they cannot replace conservation efforts. Protecting forests, preventing illegal harvesting, and preserving ecosystems are essential. However, if scientists can supply some of the valuable fragrance compounds currently taken from vulnerable species, it could be a useful part of the solution in a market where rare scents significantly increase wood's value.",
  "summary": "Scientists and fragrance companies are using technology to recreate rare scents, raising hopes that fewer threatened plants may need to be harvested.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}