Cloud Computing: How AI Could Help Fight Climate Change
Nov 26, 2023
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Rachel Ramirez, CNN Climate Reporter, and Clare Duffy, CNN Technology Reporter, discuss the potential uses of AI in addressing climate change, including its predictive capabilities and ability to evaluate crop exposure. They also explore the impact of AI on the environment and the need for regulation to consider its environmental effects.
AI can assist in addressing climate change by processing large amounts of data and providing insights.
Regulators need to consider the environmental impact of running AI data centers and address accessibility and affordability of AI tools for climate justice.
Deep dives
AI as a Potential Solution to Climate Change
AI, while not a silver bullet, can assist in addressing climate change by processing large amounts of data quickly and providing insights. It can help predict wind energy availability, make seasonal forecasts on permafrost melt, and evaluate crop exposure to warming temperatures. These applications can aid in changing our current operations, mitigating climate change impacts, and adapting to existing effects.
Regulating AI and Addressing Environmental Impact
As AI technology continues to expand, regulators need to consider its potential impact on the environment. The energy and water requirements for running AI data centers contribute to the climate problem. Potential solutions include running data centers partly on renewable energy and locating them in colder regions to reduce cooling water usage. Additionally, accessibility and affordability of AI tools need to be addressed to ensure climate justice.
Balancing Apocalyptic Predictions and Real Concerns
The fear of AI revolution often distracts from immediate concerns around its usage and accessibility. While AI holds promise in tackling climate change, it is crucial to shift the focus towards its responsible and equitable implementation. Rather than solely benefiting big tech companies, efforts should be made to scale up AI adoption, consider its impact on marginalized communities, and engage in meaningful conversations about AI's role in addressing climate change.
As the COP28 climate conference kicks off this week, world leaders will gather to discuss potential solutions to the crisis. Experts are increasingly looking at how artificial intelligence can help address certain aspects, despite a lack of regulation around the emerging technology. In this episode, we examine how AI could be used and look at whether the infrastructure needed to run the programs may actually end up harming the environment.