How Does Artificial Intelligence Affect the Environment?
Artificial intelligence is being used in a variety of ways, and a recent survey found that 74% of respondents believe that AI will improve the environment in the long run. For example, AI has the potential to assist with reducing ocean pollution, a major concern. By detecting patterns in pollution data, AI can improve monitoring of freshwater bodies and algal blooms. Researchers at the University of Alabama are using AI to develop a warning system for freshwater bodies that are prone to algal blooms.
In order to train AI, large amounts of data must be processed. This is known as deep learning. A common method involves giving AI billions of written articles and letting it learn from them. This way, the AI can learn to construct sentences. In a recent study, researchers used deep learning to analyze the environmental impact of four AIs for a single day.
While AI has many positive effects on the environment, there are also a number of potential negative impacts. The technology industry is often praised for its creative thinking, but it must apply its ingenuity to tackling the environmental issues caused by the development of artificial intelligence. As a result, it is essential to make sure that companies are evaluating the environmental impact of AI before using it to develop products.
Another way artificial intelligence could impact the environment is through improved energy efficiency. By integrating data from smart meters and the Internet of Things, which is a network of embedded computing devices in everyday objects, artificial intelligence systems can help improve energy efficiency. In addition to improving energy efficiency, artificial intelligence can also help cities improve their disaster preparedness.
Green AI can be a practical solution to environmental concerns. Some companies are already incorporating AI into their green projects to reduce waste, energy consumption, and biodiversity. For example, the UK startup Space Intelligence has applied machine learning to satellite data to address environmental issues. And the Allen Institute for AI has developed a framework for green AI and human collaboration with AI.
AI is already helping energy companies improve efficiency. By learning how to optimize energy systems, AI can reduce the amount of energy used and emissions. In addition, intelligent energy supply systems could shift supply curves outward, thus lowering energy costs. Machine learning systems could also improve mapping and understanding underground deposits.
AI can also help make energy markets more efficient, by reducing transaction costs and making it easier to specify what to buy. While AI has many positive benefits, it also brings with it risks. The biggest of these is climate change. Warming gas emissions in the atmosphere have global consequences, and failure to impose emission taxes or incentive schemes could lead to higher emissions. Although AI is helping to transform markets, it is not enough to ensure that markets will transform emissions.
But even algorithms that predict what Netflix shows to watch are also contributing to the environment. This is because these algorithms use energy. The researchers say that more energy needs to be invested in energy-efficient solutions. This would also help to minimize the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
