Logging meets AI as Weyerhaeuser chases $1 billion gains by 2030

Weyerhaeuser is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its forestry, logistics and mill operations, targeting efficiency gains that could increase annual profits by $1 billion by 2030 without relying on higher lumber prices. The company manages timberlands in the U.S. and Canada covering an area roughly the size of Indiana. It is building a digital model of these forests using satellite imagery, drone photography and lidar sensors, allowing it to map the size, species and spacing of individual trees. “We’ve been growing forests for 125 years. We probably have as much information and data about ...