Despite all its promises, AI cannot solve the climate crisis in isolation. We have to think of it as one of the many tools in our arsenal of weapons in this battle against climate change, and deploy it thoughtfully
The fight against climate change is perhaps the most crucial agenda facing the entire globe right now. If we want to achieve the net zero target by 2050, we need to transform our economy into one that works in tandem with the principle of sustainability. Fortunately, we can already see glimpses of these transformations in our global economy.
The green transition alone is estimated to create 30 million jobs in clean energy, efficiency, and low-emission technologies by 2030. If you look at the top ten fastest-growing roles on Linkedin over the last four years, they include jobs you might not have even heard of before - sustainability analysts, sustainability managers, power engineers, and so on.
Artificial Intelligence and Climate Battle
There are already many ways in which experts have imagined the role that artificial intelligence can play in our climate battle in the form of AI Innovations.
Transport management: The potential for AI in the mobility sector is almost limitless, ranging from changing traffic flow based on particulate matter emissions to making the public transport system more robust and efficient - thereby reducing the amount of carbon emissions.
Energy consumption regulation: AI predictions can help in grid management and smartly regulate energy consumption inside homes, offices and even SMEs by using smart metres that can make vital and real-time decisions based on the needs of the space.
Agriculture and smart food management: AI can also be used to upskill our workforce working in the food systems. Farmers can be skilled to help provide a path towards a more sustainable farming practice. Using drones or even smartphone and images captured, AI can help to monitor and measure crop and soil health. Farmers could be taught how to create an automated water distribution system, access soil health, and even predict weather changes in real–time and give information so that farmers can act accordingly.
Climate change: The United Nations Environment Programme is already using AI to analyse complex datasets to accurately predict carbon concentration in the atmosphere, monitor glaciers, and measure sea level rises.
The new reality: The combination of AI along with Metaverse can actually render the virtual realm as a more immersive and engaging reality. Can you imagine how much we could reduce our carbon emissions if leaders and executives around the world didn’t have to travel for every conference? It is estimated that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing can actually reduce our carbon footprint by 94 per cent and energy use by 90 per cent.
But, these are just the most logistical and immediate ways in which the forces of AI are going to empower us for the climate battle. What about the workforce that is going to create these green solutions, and run these green technologies.
If we want the green economy to truly thrive, then sustainability needs to be taught horizontally across all subjects and professions as a core principle.
Our green workforce cannot just become an added layer of expertise, but a foundation that cuts across every single worker. We need energy-conscious engineers, environmental lawyers and eco-friendly businessmen. And for too long, our education system has been struggling to inculcate a more personalised learning journey.
Personalised learning paths: AI can be used to create and deploy personalised learning paths to impart green skills in a more effective manner. Its ability to collect, analyse, and learn from vast amounts of data allows AI-powered educational platforms to create highly personalised learning paths for each learner.
Simulation models: Not only can sustainability be taught in a more fun and immersive manner, but by using both immersive learning technologies like AR/VR and AI, simulation training models can train workers on how to assemble a windmill or repair a solar panel or even give a shop floor experience of servicing or repairing electric cars. Learners can get hands-on experience and build newer skills even when they’re just sitting in their classrooms. And even our manufacturing workforce can be trained to use better machinery through simulation models.
Language and location agnostic: What’s perhaps most crucial in a context like India is that these learning models can easily be deployed in any language and any location with minimal infrastructure cost and travel.
Despite all its promises, AI cannot solve the climate crisis in isolation. We have to think of it as one of the many tools in our arsenal of weapons in this battle against climate change, and deploy it thoughtfully. What we also need to do is develop a highly skilled green workforce to fuel the green economy. At this moment, India has the potential to become the global green hub if we can effectively upskill our workforce into a green workforce.
(Manav Subodh is Founder and Managing Director, 1M1B (One Million for One Billion)