Artificial Intelligence is probably the greatest revolution of our, not so far, future. By now, there are no doubts that AI can improve the quality of people’s everyday life from basically all angles. Yet, the human kind is now facing its toughest challenge: making up for the damages that it has perpetuated to planet Earth. Although the imminence and the urgency of a more sustainable footprint of humans on the environment are known, the means through which this environmentally-friendly outcomes will be achieved is still highly debated. Can AI, with its exceptional implications, contribute to pursue this goal? If so, to what extent? And how?
To start with, AI will change the structure of urban areas and make cities smart, by reducing CO2 emissions and air quality and introducing autonomous electric vehicles which will enable on-demand mobility. Also, when one of the biggest problems is traditional energy shortage, AI can be implemented to reduce the imbalance between supply and demand of renewable energy, allowing its spreading and scaling worldwide. In the context of food production, AI-augmented agricultural systems will optimize processes so as to reduce to the minimum both resource inputs and resource waste. Lastly, AI-powered digital geospatial platforms will monitor and model environmental systems in a way that will allow scientists to manage deforestation, water extraction, and air pollution in order to protect fauna and flora. Moreover, on the same line, AI can help saving human lives. Artificial intelligence can make the difference in all contexts: from the workplace, where AI can use predictive maintenance systems and replace individuals for dangerous activities, to disaster emergencies, during which AI-enabled simulations and real time data gathering will help avoiding catastrophes.
It is therefore undeniable that AI will play a fundamental role in coping with what is said to be the toughest challenge the human kind has ever faced, as those are only some examples of the extraordinary applications of AI for a better future world. Nonetheless, at this point, a question should pop into the reader’s head: is there a limit? And, if so, where is the limit? If artificial intelligence is infinite and limitless, then it is up to humans to decide where and when to stop it. AI applications, and consequent benefits, are clearly revolutionary, but the most foolish thing humans can do is to overlook the consequences that AI’s spreading may have in the long term. Would you know where to draw the line?
References:
World Economic Forum. (2018). 8 ways AI can help save the planet. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/8-ways-ai-can-help-save-the-planet/ [Accessed 3 Oct. 2018].
Daisyme, P. and Daisyme, P. (2018). 5 Unexpected Ways AI Can Save the World by Due. [online] Due. Available at: https://due.com/blog/unexpected-ways-ai-can-save-the-world/ [Accessed 3 Oct. 2018].
I would be careful with using Artificial Intelligence as an ultimately positive means to a positive end. It is really interesting to see how AI could overwrite the mistakes of humans, but I think there is a really important underlying assumption. That is that we assume the values of machines correspond to the values of humans. In case we let machines solve problems for us, what is to prevent them to solve it in a way that is not beneficial for us, humans. I think there needs to be more efforts going into understanding the black box of AI and decreasing the unknown factors, before we let AI take over one of the most important tasks of humanity: to save our planet.