{"id":4473,"date":"2021-02-17T10:58:47","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T09:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/?p=4473"},"modified":"2022-11-23T18:07:49","modified_gmt":"2022-11-23T17:07:49","slug":"artificial-intelligence-for-the-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/en\/digitalization\/artificial-intelligence-for-the-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"AI: helper and perpetrator?"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"swe-post-header swe-post-header-image-right\"><div class=\"info\"><h1 itemprop=\"headline\">AI: helper and perpetrator?<\/h1><div class=\"subtitle\">How sustainable is AI?<\/div><div class=\"blog-tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/en\/tag\/digitalization\/\" rel=\"tag\" class=\"tag\">#Digitalization<\/a><\/div><div class=\"boxes\"><div class=\"wpulike sonnenallee-display wp_ulike_general_class\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"count-box\"><span class=\"count-box\">3<\/span><\/div><div class=\"symbol\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"time\">7 Min.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"preview\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Head_KI.jpg\"\/><div class=\"boxes callout\"><button class=\"share\">Share<\/button>    <div class=\"wpulike  sonnenallee-interactive\"><div class=\"wp_ulike_general_class wp_ulike_is_not_liked\"><button type=\"button\"\n                    data-ulike-id=\"4473\"\n                    data-ulike-nonce=\"55239c20a5\"\n                    data-ulike-type=\"post\"\n                    data-ulike-template=\"sonnenallee-interactive\"\n                    data-ulike-display-likers=\"0\"\n                    data-ulike-likers-style=\"popover\"\n                    class=\"wp_ulike_btn wp_ulike_put_text wp_post_btn_4473\"><span>Like<\/span>            <\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"av-share-box hidden callout\"><div class=\"share-content\"><span class=\"close\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/enfold-child_sonnenallee\/images\/icons\/kreuz-dunkel.svg\"\/><\/span><h1>Share article<\/h1><h2>How do you want to share the article?<\/h2><ul class=\"av-share-box-list noLightbox\"><li class=\"av-share-link av-social-link-mail\"><a aria-label=\"mail\" href=\"mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fsonnenallee.sma.de%2Fen%2Fdigitalization%2Fartificial-intelligence-for-the-climate%2F&amp;subject=AI%3A%20helper%20and%20perpetrator%3F\" title target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/themes\/enfold-child_sonnenallee\/images\/mail.png\"\/><span class=\"avia_hidden_link_text\">mail<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"av-share-link av-social-link-facebook\"><a aria-label=\"Facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsonnenallee.sma.de%2Fen%2Fdigitalization%2Fartificial-intelligence-for-the-climate%2F&amp;t=AI%3A%20helper%20and%20perpetrator%3F\" title target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/themes\/enfold-child_sonnenallee\/images\/facebook.png\"\/><span class=\"avia_hidden_link_text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/header>\n<div class=\"swe-post-container\">\n<div class=\"swe-author author\"><p><strong>Text:<\/strong> Kai Hafner, 17.02.2021<\/p><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-04a1b10d35550a643b98b6cb1ed0bc82'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Enormous potential for growth. The most important of all technological innovations. More and more potential applications. Every day, we read about someone singing the praises of the colossal importance of artificial intelligence, while others greet the hype with derision and half-truths. AI has now become an established part of our day-to-day lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-7-4a091094d0525ce4ff33013f31e64b4c'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Alexa, Siri and Cortana produce answers that make a certain amount of sense and do what they are meant to do. Playlists for our streaming services, Facebook feeds and ads match our preferences, with a dose of perfect \u201cwow!\u201c moments. Automated translations are good enough to allow us to understand manuals in foreign languages, while our heating systems in our cars and smart homes switch themselves on automatically. Up to now, these have all been functions aimed at everyday comfort and convenience. But if AI can do so much and still has plenty more potential, can it not help us tackle the biggest challenge facing humanity?<\/p>\n<p>In view of the global climate crisis, it is striking that there is one question that is still seldom heard among the general public: How exactly do AI and sustainability fit together? What can AI do as part of protecting the climate and the environment?<\/p>\n<p>Intelligent algorithms can be used to optimize almost everything from the transport of goods to the consumption of fertilizer. From forest fire warning systems to inner-city traffic management and apps to combat food waste, the range of possible applications is virtually unlimited. Both major international corporations and new start-ups are working on AI-based solutions with an appropriate measure of ambition.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to environmental and climate protection, the situation is looking particularly promising in three areas in particular: transportation and shipping, energy and agriculture.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Short distances, perfectly interlinked chains and optimized capacity utilization for transportation and shipping<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Between traffic jams, particulate matter and noise pollution, it is plain to see just how much room for improvement there is in transportation and shipping. Even getting close to achieving any climate targets requires our transportation systems to undergo a fundamental transformation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full flex_column_div  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock \"><div class=\"swe-special-images swe-special-images-1 subtitle\"><div class=\"image-container image-container-image-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI.jpg\" alt=\"\" aria-label=\"One pivotal factor is efficiency. Every journey not taken means lower emissions. AI has some contributions to make in this regard. After all, avoiding needlessly duplicating work, finding the shortest route, identifying similar demands and other such calculations are typical of the kind of task to which AI is suited.\" \/><\/div><span class=\"image-subtitle\"><span class=\"image-subtitle-inner image-description\">One pivotal factor is efficiency. Every journey not taken means lower emissions. AI has some contributions to make in this regard. After all, avoiding needlessly duplicating work, finding the shortest route, identifying similar demands and other such calculations are typical of the kind of task to which AI is suited.<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-6-16e7da2ce67d26d07e4a50d71730f258'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>For example, an app can automatically look for an available parking space for your car-sharing vehicle, saving many kilometers of driving over time. Research is currently under way on autonomous minibuses that adjust their routes to suit demand in real time, helping to apply a cutting-edge approach to public transit and take some of the strain off commuter routes. Combined route planning and payment for various means of transportation via smartphone are already undergoing trials in many cities. The next step is known as \u201cintermodality.\u201d This is the term used to refer to seamless and optimized interconnection of all transportation modes and routes, ideally taking the weather into account as well. For instance, if rain clouds are gathering, a digital travel companion will navigate its user to a shuttle bus station instead of a bike-sharing point.<\/p>\n<p>Computing power can be used to prevent trucks making journeys without any cargo, while delivery vehicles can be loaded at a central location and guided in a way that ensures that there is no need for every delivery service to stop at every corner of the city. However, which services ultimately prevail is less a matter of artificial intelligence and more one of human intelligence, as well as political will.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-hm5a1-4-76c3e4ab9b2ec50e2579660a8e31794b\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-4-76c3e4ab9b2ec50e2579660a8e31794b .avia_textblock{\n-webkit-column-count:2;\n-moz-column-count:2;\ncolumn-count:2;\n}\n\n@media only screen and (max-width: 989px){ \n#top .av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-4-76c3e4ab9b2ec50e2579660a8e31794b .avia_textblock{\ncolumn-count:1;\n}\n.av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-4-76c3e4ab9b2ec50e2579660a8e31794b .avia_textblock.av_multi_colums > p:first-child{\nmargin-top:0.85em;\n}\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-4-76c3e4ab9b2ec50e2579660a8e31794b'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock av_multi_colums'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><strong>New materials, real-time analyses and investigative talent in the energy sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In the energy sector, which is the source of a great deal of greenhouse gas emissions, AI can provide support on a number of levels. The transition to the decentralized generation of renewable energy is almost inconceivable without it. To ensure a stable utility grid, for example, it can deliver predictions of the expected output of thousands of plants every quarter of an hour, and manage it with the aid of virtual power plants. By linking existing knowledge, experimental data and the laws of physics, AI can speed up the development of new technologies such as solar fuels and conductive materials for batteries, which can be used to store energy from renewable sources.<\/p>\n<p>Environmentally damaging leaks in gas pipelines, if they do still occur, are an avoidable problem with AI. They can be detected by means of sensors or satellite monitoring and repair orders drawn up, all using automated systems. Anywhere that energy is being lost, predictive maintenance is an area of application for AI with a wealth of potential for cutting CO<sub>2<\/sub> emissions.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Optimizing, calculating and monitoring in agriculture and forestry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>More than a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to agriculture. Everyone knows about the emissions caused by cattle farming and clearing forests for grazing and arable land, but those are not the only culprits. Crop farming itself, which could theoretically be carbon-neutral, because plants store CO<sub>2<\/sub>, is anything but blameless for the miserable state of the climate. Plowing in serried ranks releases CO<sub>2<\/sub> stored in the soil, while mineral fertilizers and deepwater rice cultivation emit nitrous oxide and methane, gases that are even more harmful to the climate. How can agriculture and forestry be made less damaging to the climate with the aid of artificial intelligence?<\/p>\n<p>AI applications such as monitoring old-growth forests, wetlands and other conservation areas or automated reforestation are currently undergoing development and trials. These include functions such as calculating the ideal location, using drones to sow seeds and monitoring plant health and growth.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full flex_column_div  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock \"><div class=\"swe-special-images swe-special-images-2 subtitle\"><div class=\"image-container image-container-image-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_2_3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" aria-label=\"Still under development and testing are AI applications such as the monitoring of virgin forests and peatland and other nature conservation areas\" \/><\/div><span class=\"image-subtitle\"><span class=\"image-subtitle-inner image-description\">Still under development and testing are AI applications such as the monitoring of virgin forests and peatland and other nature conservation areas<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-hm5a1-3-eba6507d373610e70084c7c4d95d7659\">\n#top .av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-3-eba6507d373610e70084c7c4d95d7659 .avia_textblock{\n-webkit-column-count:2;\n-moz-column-count:2;\ncolumn-count:2;\n}\n\n@media only screen and (max-width: 989px){ \n#top .av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-3-eba6507d373610e70084c7c4d95d7659 .avia_textblock{\ncolumn-count:1;\n}\n.av_textblock_section.av-hm5a1-3-eba6507d373610e70084c7c4d95d7659 .avia_textblock.av_multi_colums > p:first-child{\nmargin-top:0.85em;\n}\n}\n<\/style>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-3-eba6507d373610e70084c7c4d95d7659'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock av_multi_colums'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>\u201cSmart farming\u201d and \u201cprecision agriculture\u201d are synonyms for AI-assisted farming, which could be of great benefit to disadvantaged populations. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmgrow.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FarmGrow<\/a>, for example, a social enterprise established by the Rainforest Alliance and the Grameen Foundation, is supporting smallholders in the most important cocoa-producing regions of the world with the aid of smart technology.<\/p>\n<p>Because the cocoa farms involved are scattered across wide areas and often in very far-flung locations, the FarmGrow advisors use remote tools to analyze the canopy and decide where their personal assistance is most urgently needed. Using satellite images, they assess the layout of the cacao trees, the shaded areas and new growth, which are both important factors in yield, and find out about deforestation. In conjunction with information from the farmers themselves regarding aspects such as their capacity to make investments as well as best practices for soil and plant health entered in the system, it is possible to draw up customized, multi-year strategies for boosting yields in environmentally friendly ways, which the cocoa farmers can call up and edit using smartphones.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The dark side of artificial intelligence<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>No matter how clever the AI application, how successful it is depends on training. This \u201cmachine learning,\u201d with repeated retrieval, comparison and allocation of records from the biggest possible quantities of data, \u2013 known as \u201cbig data\u201d \u2013 consumes an incredible amount of energy. Training an AI application in voice recognition, according to a research group from the University of Massachusetts, can generate five times as much CO<sub>2<\/sub> as a car does over its entire lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>To a large extent, AI applications are partially responsible for the skyrocketing global demand for computing power. Due to a lack of official data on consumption, forecasts for energy consumption in 2030 vary dramatically from 200 to 3,000\u00a0billion kilowatt-hours, while an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heise.de\/newsticker\/meldung\/Ericsson-Studie-CO2-Abdruck-der-weltweiten-IT-ist-gar-nicht-so-schlimm-4653852.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IT study<\/a> even suggests that traffic will increase but emissions will remain the same. The fact is that any AI application, even those with aimed at protecting the climate, will contribute to our high levels of energy consumption. Meanwhile, the electricity consumed is anything but green on average. What to do?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71\">\n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 .avia-image-container-inner{\ntransform:scale3d( 1, 1, 1 ) skew( 0, 0 ) translate3d( 0, 0, 0 );\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n\n@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 989px){ \n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 .avia-image-container-inner{\ntransform:scale3d( 1, 1, 1 ) skew( 0, 0 ) translate3d( 0, 0, 0 );\n}\n}\n\n@media only screen and (min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px){ \n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 .avia-image-container-inner{\ntransform:scale3d( 1, 1, 1 ) skew( 0, 0 ) translate3d( 0, 0, 0 );\n}\n}\n\n@media only screen and (max-width: 479px){ \n.avia-image-container.av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 .avia-image-container-inner{\ntransform:scale3d( 1, 1, 1 ) skew( 0, 0 ) translate3d( 0, 0, 0 );\n}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-kl0xnzc1-08b52d641fe36af78bf7f70cdaf8ed71 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_promobox  av-custom-transform av-has-copyright av-copyright-always'   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1030x703.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1030x703.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-768x524.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1536x1048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1500x1023.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-705x481.jpg 705w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" class='avia_image' ><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4481 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4481 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1030x703.jpg\" alt='' title='210211_Bild_KI_3'  height=\"703\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1030x703.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-768x524.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1536x1048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-1500x1023.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3-705x481.jpg 705w, https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210211_Bild_KI_3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/a><\/div><small class=\"avia-copyright\">\u00a9 Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning*<\/small><\/div><\/div>\n<div  class='av_promobox av-kbupbijg-6f29c110e5350449d0e4ca5e477b6190 avia-button-no  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_textblock '><div class='avia-promocontent'><h6 style=\"text-align: right;\">Infobox<\/h6>\n<p><strong>How to make AI truly sustainable.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Investment in artificial intelligence tends to be linked to hopes of economic growth. All too often, this is at odds with sustainability. If the potential of AI for environmental and climate protection is to be realized, suitable frameworks need to be put in place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Creating transparency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With all due respect to competitive secrecy, each data center needs to provide reliable figures on energy consumption and sources. These should ideally be accessible to the public, acting as a key criterion in decision-making for the customer base. Greenwashing and pretty words are no longer good enough.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Defining goals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sustainability and environmental compatibility need to be among the key criteria in the introduction of AI projects and in all political action for promoting AI. Does the project provide sustainable benefits or will it just put more cars on the road, for example?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Establishing standards<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Key figures regarding sustainability, including the publication of targets and outcomes, must be a mandatory standard in the management of AI projects.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Increasing efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AI infrastructure needs to be set up in such a way that it does not itself cause high demand for energy and resources. In addition to the underlying methods used in construction, there are cyclical systems, such as when waste heat from a data center is used to heat the company premises or a residential area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Using green electricity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Given the rapid pace of development, switching to 100 percent renewable energy is the only reasonable solution.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thinking about what we can do ourselves<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We need to think about when and where it makes sense for each user to employ AI-based applications. Do I really need to use my voice assistant to look up my hairdresser\u2019s telephone number online every six weeks, or can I just save it to my contact list? Little thoughts like this, multiplied millions of times, can do wonders for the environment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-hm5a1-2-76ea9cdf0566150cfebda2b748708c7f'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2><strong>At least efficiency improves by itself<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There is a glimmer of hope in market mechanisms. If a company wants to generate the most possible profit, it will ensure that the energy costs of its AI products do not exceed their budget and that its data centers are operating efficiently. Sometimes, AI can deliver the solution to its own problem, as it has done recently in Silicon Valley. Although its data center is already optimized to the nth degree, Google continued to push for several percentage points more by using algorithms to analyze processes at the data center, and did indeed manage to find more possible savings. Chipmakers such as Nvidia and Qualcomm are investing in the production of energy-efficient chipset architectures. Meanwhile, a group of data scientists aims at least to raise awareness of the CO<sub>2<\/sub> impact of AI. To do so, they have uploaded a <a href=\"https:\/\/mlco2.github.io\/impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tool<\/a> that can be used to calculate and disclose the carbon footprint of an AI experiment.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A calculation with many variables and quite a few unknown quantities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Wanting to use technology to conserve our finite resources makes sense only if doing so consumes fewer of them in total. That means that it will be crucial to design and use this key technology in such a way that it delivers a positive outcome overall. One thing that is already apparent is that unfortunately, there is not going to be one AI solution that we can use to close the book on the climate crisis in one fell swoop. However, what is conceivable and realistic is a mixture of many small, partial applications that, when deployed adroitly, could contribute to improving sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Artificial certainly has enormous potential to help make life better for all of us, but on one condition: we need to use it responsibly and with the common good in mind.<\/p>\n<p><em>*Source: Rolnick, David &#038; Donti, Priya &#038; Kaack, Lynn &#038; Kochanski, Kelly &#038; Lacoste, Alexandre &#038; Sankaran, Kris &#038; Ross, Andrew &#038; Milojevic-Dupont, Nikola &#038; Jaques, Natasha &#038; Waldman-Brown, Anna &#038; Luccioni, Alexandra &#038; Maharaj, Tegan &#038; Sherwin, Evan &#038; Mukkavilli, s. Karthik &#038; Kording, Konrad &#038; Gomes, Carla &#038; Ng, Andrew &#038; Hassabis, Demis &#038; Platt, John &#038; Bengio, Y.. (2019). <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1906.05433\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"center-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sonnenallee.sma.de\/en\/\" class=\"btn inverted\">Close article<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial intelligence can promote sustainability. But is it itself always sustainable? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4384,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"16115","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_preview_token":"","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"#404: Record not found","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"4895381","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"Updated","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[181],"class_list":["post-4473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digitalization","tag-digitalization"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AI: helper and perpetrator? - Sonnenallee<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Artificial intelligence promotes climate protection, but needs a lot of energy. 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