Applying AI to Combat Climate Change and Build a Sustainable World
AI is a powerful technology that has the potential to transform our future. The question is, how can we use AI to fight climate change and find sustainable solutions?
Sims Witherspoon, our climate and sustainability lead, recently spoke at TED Countdown about the role of AI in accelerating the transition to renewable energy. According to Witherspoon, it’s not just about discussing what needs to be done, but also focusing on how we can do it.
Climate change is a complex problem, and to address it effectively, we first need to understand its core issues and their impacts. That’s why we have been working with the UK Met Office to develop a more accurate precipitation nowcasting model. This model helps us better understand changing weather patterns, which is crucial for optimizing renewable energy systems that rely on natural resources.
In addition to weather forecasting, we are also using AI to track and understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity. From modeling animal behavior in the Serengeti to advancing conservation efforts in Africa, our AI projects are helping scientists gain valuable insights into the impacts of climate change. We are even using AI to identify bird songs in Australia, enabling us to monitor changes in wildlife populations on a large scale.
To further support AI solutions for climate change, we have partnered with Climate Change AI, a non-profit organization. Together, we are working to close important data gaps related to climate change. Once completed, we will make these datasets available to the public, enabling more researchers to contribute to climate-related AI projects.
While transitioning to more sustainable infrastructure, we also need to optimize the existing systems we rely on today. For example, we are developing AI that can enhance industrial cooling systems and make our computer systems more efficient. This is crucial because our current computing infrastructure, including AI, is energy-intensive. By optimizing these systems, we can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
In collaboration with domain experts at a Google-owned wind farm, we have also worked on increasing the value of wind energy. By developing AI tools to predict wind power output and recommend energy supply commitments, we have significantly boosted the value of wind energy. This technology is being piloted by the French power company ENGIE.
In addition to optimizing existing systems, we are also focused on accelerating breakthrough science. One area of great potential is nuclear fusion, which could provide limitless carbon-free energy. We have collaborated with the Swiss Plasma Center at EPFL to develop an AI system that can predict and control plasma in a nuclear fusion reactor. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of fusion energy.
To build effective AI solutions for climate change, we need collaboration from a wide range of stakeholders. This includes industry experts, climate scientists, regulators, and governments. We rely on their input to understand the challenges we face and ensure the development of reliable and impactful AI systems. If you have a specific challenge related to climate change, we would love to hear from you. Our climate and sustainability team is eager to collaborate and find real-world solutions.
Get in touch with us at contact-gdm-sustainability@google.com and let’s work together to fight climate change and build a more sustainable world.