The Use of Artificial Intelligence to Combat Climate Change
The Use of Artificial Intelligence to Combat Climate Change
There is no phenomenon that better describes “life imitating art” more than the invention of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Though the world is still inching towards mainstreaming autonomous robots and developing ethical and logical AI, the technology has become very prevalent and serves a wide array of purposes to massive consumer base – many of whom are unaware of their interactions with it. From the face and voice recognition software that most, even basic, smartphones are equipped with today, to robot-assisted surgeries in the healthcare industry, to self-driving cars that recognise obstacles within the environment, to even using algorithms to facilitate investments and power hedge-funds, AI has shown to be an extremely effective and versatile tool that could reduce human error and limitations while serving many essential functions at unmatched speeds and high efficiencies.As AI becomes increasingly accessible, it is only reasonable to make use of its power to address a serious detriment to the world – climate change and sustainable development. For many decades, the ideas of climate change and sustainable development were mainly viewed from an academic standpoint, where scientists were making discoveries that highlighted the importance and cruciality of taking action. It was not until the announcement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that many of these challenges were now under the spotlight, with governments, private companies and corporations, and financial institutions racing to ensure that the goals and targets pertaining to sustainability are met. Scientists are also undertaking more strenuous approaches to research to provide these entities with the necessary data to develop informed decisions.