How can Artificial Intelligence prevent Climate Change?
CLIMATE CHANGE / Artificial Intelligence
How can Artificial Intelligence prevent Climate Change?
KAKALI DAS
If climate change has taught us anything, it’s that human civilization can be remarkably short-sighted. We are actively destroying our own home, and despite knowing the consequences for decades, we continue to accelerate the damage—quite literally—by extracting and burning fossil fuels.
Given how short-sighted we can be, what if there were a way to artificially enhance our intelligence? Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, and “Artificial Intelligence” refers to giving computers the capacity to perform tasks that typically require human intellect.
AI can process vast amounts of data in ways that far exceed human capabilities, enabling it to take on tasks traditionally handled by people. For instance, AI is now used in medical diagnostics, where systems like IBM Watson can analyse complex medical data to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases. AI also powers virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, streamlining everyday tasks. In finance, algorithms are employed to predict stock market trends, and in autonomous vehicles, AI enables self-driving cars to navigate safely.
AI is also making waves in fields like physics and medicine, revolutionizing scientific research and innovation. But how could AI impact climate change?
Artificial intelligence can play a crucial role in tackling climate change by helping us understand the damage we’re causing, assisting in adapting to its consequences, and even shaping better policies. From analyzing climate patterns and predicting extreme weather events to optimizing renewable energy use and reducing carbon footprints, AI has the potential to transform our approach to this global crisis.
At its core, artificial intelligence—especially machine learning—excels at recognizing patterns. While AI may still struggle with something as simple as understanding how fingers work, it has transformed fields that rely on complex data analysis.
Take protein folding, for example—a problem that has long been a challenge for computational science. Thanks to machine learning, breakthroughs like DeepMind’s AlphaFold have revolutionized our understanding of how proteins fold, paving the way for advancements in medicine and biotechnology.
AI is already being used to enhance climate models by improving how they capture processes that are typically too small to simulate directly. This includes phenomena like cloud formation, ocean eddies, and sea ice melting. By refining these simulations, scientists hope to make more accurate predictions about our climate future—determining not only how much the planet will heat up but also identifying which regions will experience increased rainfall and which will become drier.
When it comes to renewable energy, AI is a transformative tool. By analysing weather data and electricity demand patterns, AI algorithms can optimize the performance of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. This optimization not only boosts efficiency but also enhances grid integration, ensuring a more stable and reliable supply of clean energy.
AI can also help us analyse and understand climate patterns as they unfold in real time. For example, one research group has already used artificial intelligence to estimate when the world might exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, providing critical insights for climate action and policy decisions.
AI’s role in tackling climate change goes beyond prediction—it can also aid in adaptation. This includes identifying vulnerable areas, enhancing disaster response efforts, and providing early warnings for floods, wildfires, droughts, and even disease outbreaks.
By harnessing AI for early detection, we can save lives and reduce economic losses. AI can also improve weather forecasting on sub-seasonal and even hourly scales. For instance, DeepMind, Google’s AI lab, developed a deep learning tool that outperformed traditional physics-based models in predicting rainfall up to 90 minutes in advance.
AI plays a crucial role in resource management and efficiency. In smart agriculture, AI optimizes water usage and crop yields, helping to reduce environmental impact. In manufacturing, AI-driven predictive maintenance and process optimization minimize waste and energy consumption, enhancing overall sustainability.
The strength of AI lies in its ability to recognize patterns, and this capability only improves as it processes increasing amounts of data, such as weather patterns in this case.
The potential benefits of AI in addressing climate change go even further. For example, AI can help develop new energy technologies and enhance electricity grids—whether by improving efficiency or by balancing supply with demand to ensure stability.
AI could revolutionize transportation, leading to reduced carbon emissions through more efficient routing and energy management.
One of AI’s key contributions to climate change mitigation is its ability to reduce carbon footprints across industries. AI algorithms assist in designing energy-efficient buildings, optimizing low-emission transportation routes, and advancing carbon capture technologies. By enhancing efficiency and pinpointing energy-saving opportunities, AI is driving industries toward greener and more sustainable practices.
Moreover, artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance climate change policy. Since policy can be complex and tedious, AI helps analyse existing research and policy, understand its real-world impacts, and contribute to the creation of more effective solutions for the future.
For instance, policymakers can analyse climate laws being enacted worldwide to determine what might be effective in their own regions. Citizens, too, can make more informed voting choices or strengthen legal cases against their governments or corporations.
However, there are risks associated with these computerised collaborations. For example, biases in AI models can reflect human biases, potentially perpetuating injustices and even worsening issues like income inequality. Additionally, unequal access to AI means that those who could benefit the most from these tools, particularly in developing regions, often cannot access them.
Moreover, using artificial intelligence to analyse behaviours that contribute to emissions raises significant privacy concerns. Influencing people’s actions through AI-driven recommendations also brings up ethical questions about fairness and personal freedom.
This practice, known as “nudging”—subtly shaping people’s choices and behaviours—can undermine individual autonomy and rational decision-making. Even if applied for a positive cause, such as combating climate change, it’s worth asking: is this a path we truly want to take?
Artificial intelligence is set to transform nearly every aspect of our lives, and climate change and energy are among the most critical areas it will impact. The reality is that AI’s role in addressing climate change isn’t simply black or white—it’s not just good or bad. We must carefully consider how much autonomy we give to our digital counterparts.
For example, do we want AI to assist by crunching the numbers to help us make better-informed decisions? Or should we allow our computers to take the lead in solving these complex problems on our behalf?
It’s clear that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and resisting it, like my old math teacher resisted us using calculators, isn’t going to accomplish anything. We need to recognize both the potential benefits and the risks, and take proactive steps to mitigate those risks. For example, by promoting open data and open science, we can ensure that people around the world have access to AI techniques and results.
However, there are hidden consequences of AI-powered cloud computing beyond the computer lab. AI and machine learning models don’t actually exist in a “cloud” — they are stored and trained on physical hardware that runs on energy-hungry servers housed in massive data centres. As these systems expand, so does their energy consumption, leading to an increase in emissions.
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