This article on artificial intelligence explains how computer vision could possibly help fight climate change. Read on to find out more.
Join the DZone community and get the full member experience. One can only assume that as AI is utilized in more industries and fields of study that it is a matter of time before AI, specifically computer vision, is used to tackle climate change. However, the details leave us wondering exactly how computer vision research can assist mankind in bringing about a better tomorrow. There is a number of ways artificial intelligence can be used to fight climate change. Some AI programs are created to optimize the energy efficiency of homes and businesses, while others can monitor for and prevent the catastrophic failures of energy plants to reduce carbon emissions. Creating computer vision programs allows for other AI programs to see in more detailed and realistic ways to fight climate change at a whole new level. For companies and individuals looking to reduce carbon emissions, computer vision can help fight climate change in ways they likely never thought possible. Let’s first take a look at how AI is already assisting in efforts to mitigate climate change. As mentioned above, there are several ways AI programs can be used to help fight climate change. Some of these are in practice today while others are still being tested to see if they are viable for a full-scale rollout. Others yet are still in the earliest stages of development. However, AI is proving useful in environmental sciences and further implementation in fighting climate change is inevitable. Rather than create an exhaustive list, we have broken AI involvement into these three broad categories: monitor and detect, manage, and advance. Artificial intelligence has found wide adoption in monitoring current systems in order to « raise a red flag » if problems are detected, as well as to suggest new ways to optimize processes. Image Source A basic example is the ability AI has to track individual and commercial carbon emissions and then suggest appropriate changes to mitigate some of these emissions. It goes beyond this, though, in being able to help sustainable farmers and sustainable livestock flourish with up-to-date and accurate weather pattern tracking. When produce and livestock are able to be maximized naturally by taking advantage of (or preventing a catastrophe from) changes in the weather, then even the food we consume can be used to fight climate change. AI, of course, can also be used to analyze massive amounts of data and generate results about changes in climate patterns and, using the same data, predict future changes in climate patterns. When carbon emissions can be more accurately monitored and predicted, then those emissions can be managed. Humans produce a lot of waste, both biological and manufactured, that is not properly or efficiently disposed of. AI has been used to help increase efficiency in waste management with sensors and live updates on waste in cities for more accurate waste collection as well as a determination for destruction or removal. This has huge benefits for not only controlling waste more efficiently but also optimizing vehicle emissions used to collect this waste.
