Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key technology that can be used effectively for sustainable developments. It already has a firm place in our everyday lives – in recognizing languages, translating texts or as a navigation aid in traffic. But what potential do AI technologies have to master the ecological challenges of our time?
From climate change adaptation to nature conservation measures
Artificial intelligence is not yet often associated with environmental protection. However, artificial intelligence can now be used in many environmentally relevant areas, such as climate change adaptation. For example, AI can be used to find out which tree species should be planted in forest areas so that these forests can better adapt to climate change. To curb global illegal logging, AI “guards” can also be used in forests to detect the sound of chainsaws or trucks in good time and then send warnings to the authorities.
AI can also already help to conserve resources when it comes to the circular economy – by optimizing certain processes and increasing recycling rates for plastics. With the help of AI, it is also already possible to better predict extreme weather events or more precisely localize heat islands in large cities.
As a technology in nature conservation, artificial intelligence can help to improve evaluations of the frequency and distribution of endangered animal and plant species. Bird calls, for example, can be recognized much more easily using AI. This will also enable us to take better protective measures for animals and plants in the future.
AI systems in agriculture
The increased use of AI systems can be particularly useful in agriculture. This is because this sector is heavily affected by climate change: extreme weather events, invasive species and unpredictable temperature fluctuations are becoming increasingly common. At the same time, agriculture is also a major driver of climate change, as it causes large amounts of CO2 emissions and is responsible for high water consumption through artificial irrigation. In the agricultural sector, for example, sensors can help to precisely monitor the microclimate in the plant population. This information can be used to monitor and improve plant health. In addition, fertilizers and water quantities can also be reduced.
The dilemma - diverse use vs. high resource consumption
Even though AI technologies such as ChatGPT are present in our everyday lives and can help people to work more efficiently, these much-discussed technologies also have their downsides. AI models have to process and “train” a lot of data in order to be able to complete their tasks. Data processing requires a lot of computing power, causes enormous amounts of CO2 emissions and is actually very resource-intensive. In order to reduce the ecological footprint, more sustainability is generally needed in the area of IT infrastructures – from data centers to computers and smartphones to various apps and programs.