Is AI sustainable? Can we trust AI? Is the world going to be taken over by robots? These are some of the genuine questions that have been asked in recent years, and for good reason, too. The truth is, AI is now a core part of our day-to-day lives, and it has been a huge blessing for many industries as well as a curse for others.
As the global urgency for sustainable solutions grows, the role of technology in leading green initiatives to reduce the impact of climate change has become critical. AI is not about creating a futuristic world but enhancing our lives today. In essence, AI can help us mitigate some of the severe consequences caused by climate change.
We’re going to talk about some of the ways that AI can play a pivotal role in, as well as enhancing sustainability across various sectors.
We have previously spoken about waste management and how AI has positively impacted this industry. From predictive analysis enabling organisations and even whole cities to predict the amount of waste that is going to be present, through to robots being used for waste collection in the street, AI has played a key role in waste management.
“AI and Robotics have become key players in many industries, whether it’s online AI assistants to screen you before going to an in-person doctor, or a robot working on reception at a hotel (yes, in Japan). Both AI and robotics are here to help us instead of hinder us, and waste management is no exception.
Waste management is at the forefront of many countries' ESG goals, whether it’s to make population-dense cities more sustainable or simply make places cleaner. How we process and collect waste has changed exponentially, and AI and Robotics have made this possible.” - Read the full blog here.
AI has been proven to predict and/or manage consumer behaviours, which when looked at through the lens of sustainability provides huge benefits. AI-driven recommendations in line with consumer wants can nudge them towards sustainable products, services, and experiences.
For example, a customer may be searching for camping holidays near them; AI can track this behaviour and instead show camping packages that are sustainable or support sustainability initiatives. Finally, AI can influence consumer behaviour by feeding customers information on sustainability, how to practice this in their day-to-day lives, and how to have a positive environmental impact.
Finally, resource optimisation is another way in which AI has been adopted to act as an enhancer, rather than a hindrance. AI technology can be implemented to analyse how resources (both human capital and physical resources) are performing and where there are potential gaps. For example, AI can collect information on what programs and technology employees use, so organisations can understand how effective things are that they’re investing in for the organisation. They can then use this data to make cuts to tech and external partners, enabling the budget to be controlled whilst also ensuring employees aren’t missing out on important resources for the roles.
How is this sustainable? For some, it may not be obvious how resource management within organisations can be considered sustainable, however using AI in this way promotes healthy consumption instead of overconsumption of products, tech, and services.
Another example is within the Agriculture sector. AI technologies can use data from sensors and satellites to improve the planting, harvesting, and upkeep of crops. This can produce better quality products as well as more efficient usage of water, fertilisers, and pesticides. This can reduce emissions, improve environmental impact, and also produce better quality crops/food.
In conclusion, we believe that AI could be Green Tech’s unseen ally. The future of AI in sustainability is already predicted to be transformative, and AI has driven positive outcomes across multiple industries when used with sustainability in mind. We’re interested and intrigued to see what the future of Green Tech looks like with AI by its side, and how it will positively or negatively influence sustainability across industries.