Does anyone else get bothered by how many observations are marked as "unknown species"?

No, thank you. Autodumping in plants, simply moves the problem to a different basket.

I am one of the people who chose to sort thru Unknowns. Targeting them on to the relevant taxon specialists.

iNat is first, social media, encouraging I naturalist, not I scientist, to engage with nature. The ensuing engagement and discussion is a learning curve for some of us - which pays the scientist’s input forward - if we can recognise the next one unaided.

If the automated ID is wrong, it will need 3 humans to overturn it.

PS some scientists chose to upload all their pictures, then work thru the IDs carefully going forward. That workflow also has to be accomodated.