Vinatier and Pérez-López argue that current insect pest management often fails because it treats monitoring as a purely technical challenge, overlooking the structural ecological, technological, and socio-economic barriers that make timely detection difficult. Through the development and synthesis of AI-driven tools that integrate computer vision, sensor networks, molecular diagnostics, and predictive analytics, they show that insect monitoring must move beyond manual trapping and delayed assessments. Their perspective highlights the need for resilient pest management systems that extend beyond enhanced data, advocating for approaches that integrate farmer contexts, diverse information sources, and ethical considerations. By positioning AI as a bridge between ecological intelligence and precision agriculture, Vinatier and Pérez-López recommend reframing monitoring as a proactive, participatory, and sustainability-oriented process rather than a reactive, chemical-dependent one. Vinatier & Pérez-López, 2026.
Image Credit: Ella Maru Studio
Research Articles
Readiness to transform: Pioneer farmers’ motivations and barriers for adopting paludiculture in Germany
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation: published January 13, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000214
Social-ecological outcomes of agroecological transitions: A case study from natural farming systems in central India
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation: published January 13, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000212
Concentrated declines, distributed growth, and the challenges of balancing the green energy transition in the US
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation: published January 16, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000217
Opinion
AI for accurate insect pest monitoring: A path toward resilient agriculture
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation: published January 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000216