Throughout history, humans have leaned on technology and innovation to get us out of various messes that we have created for ourselves. Technological advancements have often served as a beacon of hope to a society wringing its hands in worry over illness, war, famine, or, now, a burgeoning climate crisis.
In recent years, it has seemed that AI has offered the solution to everything that could be considered problematic for society. Regarding climate change and environmental sustainability, AI has numerous potential applications, from leveraging the power of big data to energy-saving applications.
As people continue to better understand AI and its capabilities, they will also come to understand how we can positively impact the environment through AI. However, positive applications of AI technology will require soothing the anxieties of those who fear its potential and feel that an over-reliance on AI will lead to no good in the near future.
Energy efficiency
As post-Industrial Age emissions continue to rise and the world gets warmer, we throw ideas at the proverbial wall. AI may just be the one idea that sticks and makes an actionable difference.
Through predictive analytics and smart grid management, AI can optimize energy consumption. AI can analyze large swathes of data, forecasting energy demand patterns and allowing real-time adjustments, thus reducing overall waste. AI is also adept at pointing out inefficiencies or possible issues within our man-made systems by highlighting red flags when needed.
Precision conservation
It is nearly impossible for human beings to analyze data on weather, soil conditions, or crops at the amount and with the efficiency of AI. With this intelligence, farmers can make more informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and crop rotation.
Not only could this lead to better crop yields, which would benefit everyone who relies on the world’s farmers for sustenance, but it would also be smarter farming all around. For example, AI-driven precision analytics can allow a wheat farmer in Germany to forecast the exact right moment to apply water to his crops, dramatically cutting water waste that has led to erosion, harm to habitats, and the expansion of negative climate change.
Eco-friendly cities
It isn’t just farmers who are to blame for climate change — city dwellers have some culpability to bear as well. While many may be getting comfortable with using AI through social media or in their office jobs, the technology is already working behind the scenes in many cities through smart resource management that optimizes water and energy consumption.
Smart grids, sensors, and weather forecasters using AI help optimize energy distribution, thereby improving grid efficiency. AI can also monitor energy distribution networks to detect service disruptions — which could be far more efficient than waiting for a deluge of phone calls from angry citizens when the lights go out.
AI is also being used to help soothe transportation woes in major cities. In Japan, for instance, AI is already being used extensively to enhance public transportation safety and ease congestion, as well as through the use of autonomous vehicles and drones for deliveries, which has helped decrease traffic pollution.
Environmental monitoring
We know where the negative environmental impacts are coming from: deforestation, water waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution. While we are aware of these problems, sometimes they can seem so massive that it can be easier to put them aside as an issue for another day.
Improvements in AI have allowed us to monitor these ongoing issues through satellite data analysis and sensors. We can now collect real-time data that enables us to keep watch on problematic situations globally and intervene when necessary.
As a worldwide community, we are looking to technology to escape the heat — literally and figuratively — of ever-worsening climate change. AI is offering data-backed solutions to the myriad problems we face.
AI needn’t be feared but further researched and respected. A sustainable world is possible, and AI can be the game-changing superhero that secures our sustainable future.
Piece contributed by Ed Watal - the founder and principal of Intellibus, an INC 5000 Top 100 Software firm based in Reston, Virginia. He regularly serves as a board advisor to the world’s largest financial institutions. C-level executives rely on him for IT strategy & architecture due to his business acumen & deep IT knowledge. One of Ed's key projects includes BigParser (an Ethical AI Platform and an A Data Commons for the World). He has also built and sold several Tech & AI startups. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, he worked in some of the largest global financial institutions, including RBS, Deutsche Bank, and Citigroup. He is the author of numerous articles and one of the defining books on cloud fundamentals called 'Cloud Basics.' Ed has substantial teaching experience and has served as a lecturer for universities globally, including NYU and Stanford. Ed has been featured on Fox News, QR Calgary Radio, and Medical Device News.
