In a world where the climate crisis, environmental impact, and carbon footprints are rarely out of the news, it’s no surprise that businesses are feeling the pressure to make their practices more sustainable. And though many think of technology as one of the damaging forces that are causing a negative impact on the planet, another school of thought argues that technology – and specifically AI – could pave the way towards a sustainable future.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, refers to computer systems that are able to learn from data and their environment, and in turn act and think on their learnings to recreate similar – and sometimes even better – results in response to problems they’re programmed with. Being fed with vast amounts of data means they’re able to support humanitarian projects and sometimes take them over, freeing up more time for human employees to spend focused elsewhere.
1. How can artificial intelligence be used to address climate change?
2. Artificial intelligence applications to optimise energy in the built environment
3. Other AI applications in sustainable businesses
How can artificial intelligence be used to address climate change?
Marketing, finance, and even education industries have all embraced AI. And a recent study by the World Economic Forum reported that using data and AI digital solutions has the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2030. It also presents opportunities for AI to help improve biodiversity, secure our food and water levels, alter the impact of emissions from the energy, agriculture, and transport industries, and boost the systems we already have in place in response to climate change.
In fact, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that AI could lead to a global economic growth of around $15.7tn by 2030. But one of the leading industries that can use AI to have a positive impact on the environment is property.
Artificial intelligence applications to optimise energy in the built environment
AI systems built into new buildings and retrofitted into our existing built environment can work to help reduce the lifetime emissions of a building – which is believed to make up 17% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
These systems, like Demand Logic, can be used to help building managers understand where they are wasting energy with things like unnecessary lighting and heating, and help them to reduce usage and direct it into areas where it’s actually needed. The AI reads the building and its energy systems, learning where they’re needed and where they’re going to waste. This can help buildings produce up to 30% less energy and, in turn, lower their overall lifetime emissions.
Tech giants like Google are already harnessing the power of AI not just within their internet systems, but also to help reduce their energy usage and bills – in fact, their AI model, DeepMind, which is used to cool its data centers has been shown to reduce energy so much that their costs have been cut by 40%.
Other AI applications in sustainable businesses
On a larger scale, AI can be used to predict natural disasters and their impact, detect changes in the land and climate that can affect our ability to grow food, remove CO2 and reduce emissions across all industries, monitor deforestation, and improve sustainable transportation.
But it’s not just environmental sustainability that can be supported by businesses adopting AI work processes. It’s also estimated that AI could increase job sustainability worldwide, helping to create up to 38.2 million new jobs – that’s the equivalent of the number of people currently employed in the UK.
Have you got a sustainable business plan that harnesses the power of AI to do good? We’re experts at marketing companies that use tech to have a positive impact on the planet. From social media strategies to traditional PR, we’ve worked with AI and tech businesses to increase followings, secure media coverage, and generate profits.
To find out more about how we can help your AI business, get in touch with OggaDoon today.
