The burden on our planet caused by human activity is becoming increasingly clear. But dissolving mechanisms that we have relied on for decades is proving more difficult than expected. More and more innovations and ideas are coming into the world and could bring about change. Many companies are already relying on an old friend from Movie and TV: AIs. Despite their rather unpopular reputation, however, they could be key to tackling climate change. But KI the possibility of solving one of the biggest problems in history or is it all more show than substance?

Artificial intelligence offers enormous potential for more sustainable companies

Google Ikea and Microsoft have been using Artificial Intelligence successful. No wonder, because they collect and store data, analyze processes and can solve problems in real time. The wide range of areas in which artificial intelligence can be used is inexhaustible and therefore offers enormous potential - also in terms of company development.

The computing systems can already help to improve business processes and make them more sustainable. This includes, above all, the fact that AI analyses how a supply chains works and then provides impulses to optimize it. For example, artificial intelligence can reduce energy and emissions consumption in the manufacture of products, limit material wear and tear and determine which devices need to be serviced before they fail completely and need to be replaced. Resource consumption can therefore be reduced in general.

AI: A Guide to Climate Protection

Artificial intelligence can advance research into climate change and help to make the earth more sustainable. Problems that seem very complex and difficult to solve, such as energy and resource consumption in industry, can be optimized and made more environmentally friendly. For example, artificial intelligence simulates how ideas and innovations can be applied to the broad market or can alleviate resource scarcity. In addition, AI can help advance research and create new products that bring about change.

Smart software is already helping today. It is already deciding in endangered forest areas which type of tree should be planted in order to save forests. AI is also already being used in the textile industry. For example, in the project “Circular Textile Intelligence”In this case, a computer system analyses how old clothes can be returned to the production cycle or recycled.

Google also uses AI in its “DeepMind” project. Historical data from wind turbines and weather forecasts are examined there to determine the availability of wind energy. Climate disasters, for example, could soon be identified earlier with the help of artificial intelligence, because AI forecasts are usually already more consistent than conventional technologies. Google has also successfully implemented the "environmentally friendly route" function on Maps with the help of AI.

Source & Copyright by Google DeepMind

Revolution of the Energy Industry through Artificial Intelligence

There is always talk of green energy supply. These include solar systems, Hydropower or wind turbines. Unlike gas, coal or oil, they are natural, can be quickly renewed and are virtually inexhaustible. AI can also contribute to greater sustainability in the energy sector. So-called smart grids are used to transport energy from producer to consumer in the most efficient way possible. Furthermore, an AI system can be trained to predict when and how much electricity will be needed.

Living sustainably thanks to AI

But not only for industry, climate protection and Energy transition AI can mean sustainable added value. Artificial intelligence also offers individuals the opportunity to establish a more sustainable lifestyle. Smart home devices, for example, help not only to control the energy supply and adapt it to everyday life, but also to monitor it and thus reduce energy consumption. There are also intelligent refrigerators that monitor the contents, remember the expiration dates of food and thus become a remedy against the Food waste .

Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability in Conflict

But even though artificial intelligence can help make our lives on the planet more sustainable, there are some negative points that need to be considered. AI is not necessarily the knight on a white horse that will save us from the climate crisis. High energy consumption, funding in the wrong places and rapid growth can be a major risk in terms of sustainability efforts. Even if artificial intelligences have many advantages, it must be remembered that they are computers, i.e. huge data centers. They process a huge amount of data and therefore consume a lot of energy and release immense amounts of emissions.

Google, for example, has not been able to reduce its carbon footprint since it began using AI. Although the company’s goal was to become carbon neutral by 2, They have increased by 48% in recent years instead of decreasing. In addition, a normal web search only consumes 0.3 kilowatt hours of energy as opposed to an input in, for example, ChatGPT, which requires an average of 2,9 kilowatt hours. AI cannot necessarily be considered sustainable or environmentally friendly at the moment. However, this can be solved by using green energy.

Enormous growth endangers sustainable development of AI

Due to the rapidly increasing popularity of AI, the focus is on rapid growth so that AI will soon prevail globally. In view of the UN-formulated goals for sustainable development, which are to be achieved globally by 2030, this is particularly problematic. IEA Forcast predicts that in 2026 data centers will consume about 1000 terawatt hours of electricity, that's more than twice as much as Japan needed in 2022. Another study showed that if Google fully integrates its AI systems into hardware and software, the company would consume about as much electricity as the whole of Ireland in a year.

AI and climate protection: There is a lack of funding

artificial intelligence and Climate protection are therefore related to each other in both a positive and negative sense. Above all, there is potential to do good for the environment with the help of AI that deals with climate protection. However, since automated computing systems are currently mainly gaining ground in the IT and technology sectors, funding is mainly going to these areas. There are already impulses to adopt AI for greater sustainability. However, the potential is not currently being focused on, because there is hardly any funding that supports positive change with AI.

Are theoretical AI scenarios also applicable in practice?

AIs can quickly solve acute problems in terms of sustainability by analyzing and playing through certain scenarios. However, it is not always possible to verify whether artificial intelligence really delivers optimal impulses and whether these can be applied in reality. Ultimately, AI usually only works theoretically. For this reason, it is only when a problem solution is applied in practice that it can be determined whether it is really an efficient solution.

Conclusion: AI as an opportunity to curb climate change

Artificial intelligence can be an efficient aid in the fight against climate change. However, this requires optimising energy consumption and reducing the environmental impact of its use. In general, however, AI can contribute to more sustainable future It accelerates processes that might take decades through human research, provides new impetus and can scale environmentally friendly measures in supply chains and companies.