In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a crucial tool for humankind across many sectors, such as science, health, and education. As the world takes action, especially following the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty on climate change – scientists and world leaders are researching innovative technologies to ensure the agreement’s success. AI has been recognized as one such innovation that could help humanity mitigate global warming and reduce the impact of climate change. So, how exactly can AI help us achieve our climate goals?

Mitigation

AI is capable of helping us mitigate the climate crisis. It is a helpful tool in understanding the scale of the climate crisis. At a macro level, it can estimate the carbon natural stock in ecosystems, such as remote forests or wetlands. At a micro level, AI can calculate the carbon footprint of individual products or actions. This can help both the seller and consumer understand the environmental impact of a product.

Furthermore, AI is invaluable in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse effects. Carbon dioxide removal is essential to keeping the global temperature increase to 1,5 °C above pre-industrial levels, the main goal of the Paris Agreement. AI can assist in achieving this goal by aiding with environmental carbon removal by detecting deforestation and estimating ecosystem carbon sequestration. It can also support technological carbon dioxide removal, a disputed method of removing carbon involving scientific advances, by assessing carbon storage locations, monitoring leakages, and optimizing the processes for carbon capture.

Adaptation

While minimizing the effects of the climate crisis is crucial, humanity must also adapt to the changing climate. AI can help predict the weather, which is especially important for endangered ecosystems and communities. For instance, the MyAnga app, created for Kenyan pastoralists to prepare for droughts, is invaluable in safeguarding their livestock. AI can also help communities by warning them about upcoming climate disasters, potentially saving people’s lives.

AI as a Contributor to Climate Change

Although AI is an essential tool in our fight against climate change, it can also be viewed as a major contributor to the climate crisis. Due to its potential impact in various societal domains, AI requires vast amounts of energy, which, for now, comes mainly from fossil fuels. Researchers are also concerned about the “Jevons paradox”, which, applied to AI, suggests that the more positive changes we see using AI, the more computers, data servers, and energy we will need to support the increasing demand for this technology. This could potentially increase our energy use and lead to further climate risks.

AI is an innovative technology that sparks hope in humanity and should be utilized to a certain extent; however, it is not a tool that can singlehandedly solve the climate crisis. Everyone, from large corporations to individual citizens, must take responsibility for their actions, as AI alone cannot save our planet.

By lithuanian eco-mmunity activators Team