Research into the London School of Economics and Systems suggests that as our ally in the climate battle, it is possible to reduce global carbon emissions without giving up on modern amenities.
By 2035, just three industries’ Smart AI applications could reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 3.2-5.5 billion tonnes each year, according to a DUO study.
In contrast to much of what we’ve heard, these reductions will far outweigh the carbon that AI itself produces.
This study, “Green and Intelligent: The Role of AI in Climate Transition,” does not only view AI as a small tool for improvement. Instead, it helps to transform our entire economy into something sustainable and inclusive.
Net Zero is an opportunity, not a burden
Researchers suggest that the transition to a net-zero economy should not be a burden, but should be seen as “a great opportunity for innovation and sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth.”
They focus on three major carbon culprits: power generation, meat and dairy production, and passenger cars, which together cause almost half of the world’s emissions. Potential AI savings from these sectors alone are more than cancelling an estimated 0.4-1.6 billion tonnes of annual emissions from running all these AI data centers.
As the author said, “When using AI for climate transitions, it’s not only strong, it’s essential.”
Five Big Ways to Help AI Save Our Planet (and Us)
1. Make complex systems smarter
Think about how our modern life relies on complex networks for energy, transportation and urban life. AI can redesign these systems to operate much more efficiently.
Remember those frustrating blackouts when the wind stopped blowing or the clouds covered the sun? AI helps predict these fluctuations in renewable energy and balance them with real-time demand. DeepMind already shows that AI can increase the economic value of Wind Energy by 20% by reducing the need for backup power.
2. Speed up discovery and reduce waste
Almost half of the emission reduction needed to reach Net-Zero by 2050 relies on technology that is mostly out of the lab today, and AI is turbocharged these breakthroughs.
Check out Google DeepMind’s GNOME tool. This already identifies over 2 million new crystal structures that could revolutionize renewable energy and battery storage. Or consider how Amazon’s AI packaging algorithm has saved over 3 million tons of material since 2015.
3. Help us make better choices
Our daily decisions can drive up to 70% of emission reductions by 2050, from what we eat to how we travel. But making the right choice is not always easy.
AI can become our personal environmental coach, breaking down information barriers and providing tailored recommendations. Are you already using Google Maps fuel-efficient routes? It is AI that helps reduce emissions while saving gas money. Smart home systems like nests use AI to optimize heating and cooling. This saves millions of tons of CO2 if we all hire.
4. Predicting climate change and policy effects
How do you plan for a changing climate? AI can process huge datasets to predict climate patterns with unprecedented accuracy.
Tools like Icenet (the British Antarctic Survey and the Alan Turing Institute developed by the Alan Turing Institute use AI to predict sea ice levels more than ever before and help communities and businesses prepare. This ability has also expanded to help governments design climate policies that actually work, learning from countless case studies around the world.
5. Keep us safe in extreme weather
As climate disasters intensify, early warnings can save lives. AI-driven systems for floods and wildfires are becoming an essential safety net.
Google’s Flood Hub uses machine learning to provide flood forecasts in over 80 countries up to 5 days in advance. It is a valuable time for people to protect their homes and evacuate when necessary.
The numbers support AI to reduce global carbon emissions
When researchers calculated the numbers, they discovered that AI could do it.
By 2035, we will reduce 1.8 billion tonnes of electricity sector annually by 2035 by optimizing renewable energy ave annually to 0.0 billion tonnes of 3 billion tonnes of annual renewable energy by improving plant-based proteins to improve mobility and better battery technology technology technology technology technology.
Here’s the catch: Just sitting down and determining how AI develops. Researchers are seeking “active state” to ensure that AI benefits everyone and planets.
“The government plays an important role in ensuring that AI is deployed effectively and accelerates the transition fairly and sustainably,” they conclude.
What this really means is to generate incentives for green AI research, regulate environmental impacts, and invest in infrastructure so that communities around the world can share profits.
By guiding innovation and working together internationally, we can reduce AI’s global carbon emissions, maximize our chances of tackling the climate crisis, and build a future where both people and planets can thrive.
(Photo: Abhishek Mishra)
See: Power Play: Can the Grid cope with the growing appetite of AI?
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