How AI is helping us tackle the climate crisis - The Guardian
How AI is helping us tackle the climate crisis | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
It is reasonable to keep the energy use of AI systems under scrutiny, but so often the discussion of the topic feels overblown ( AI drive brings Microsoft’s ‘green moonshot’ down to earth in west London, 29 June). The reason is that the emissions that are likely to be generated by powering AI are so much smaller than those created by other sectors such as construction or transport.
So the current debate is framed in the wrong way. AI is already proving to be a critical enabler in helping to tackle the climate and nature crises. And, in some cases, the power use for AI is much lower than the traditional computing that it replaces – for example, in energy-intensive advanced climate models.
Meanwhile, AI can unlock significant decarbonisation opportunities. In my own sector – the built environment – it can help enable the shift away from polluting materials such as concrete, reduce the carbon impact of energy and transport systems, and support the reuse and repurposing of existing buildings.
We need to keep improving the efficiency of AI development and ensure that it is developed safely and responsibly. But as important is harnessing AI to help accelerate the green transition.
Dr Will Cavendish
Global digital services leader, Arup
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”