The United Nations issued our most dire climate warning to date in 2021: a code red for humanity. The threat of intensified climate disasters, mass population displacements, and significant health crises will continue to rise unless significant change is made, according to the report, which noted that the “internationally agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels of global warming was perilously close.”
Businesses are still struggling to develop solutions that will help them reduce their environmental effect on a large scale. Artificial intelligence (AI) could, however, become a potential sustainability solution with industry-spanning use cases.
As the CEO of an AI firm that prioritises environmental effect, I’ve seen first hand the power of technology in establishing a brand that is not only financially viable but also essential in powering environmental preservation tools. Here are only three ways AI can be used to help rescue the world, based on these findings.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reached previously unprecedented levels due to human activity. It is especially important for enterprises, which account for the bulk of emissions, to restrict their production in order to control the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. While adopting emission-reduction adjustments to your organisation might take a lot of time and money, AI is assisting in making sustainability a critical tool for growth.
According to a recent BCG study, businesses may now utilise AI to monitor and predict their emissions in order to make effective and cost-effective modifications. According to the study, AI might reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% to 10% globally by 2030. Tools to optimise carbon-free energy production processes, such as wind farms, traffic with autonomous vehicles, and forecast when equipment will need repair to reduce carbon-emitting failures are among these AI uses.
For example, using AI technology, IBM researchers are working with clients and partners to solve complex climate-related issues. Among these include reducing “the growing global carbon footprint of cloud workloads and data centers” and “developing membranes and materials that can capture and absorb carbon at the origin of emission.” In fact, research from Microsoft and PWC makes clear that “using AI for environmental applications has the potential to boost global GDP by 3.1% – 4.4%.”
