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The silver lining of AI for sustainable action
The silver lining of AI for sustainable action

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A quick glance around will reveal the several uses of artificial intelligence (AI) – while some may come as surprise, a few others are more obvious, but they sure touch lives every day. From facial recognition and navigation apps in smart phones to digital voice assistants, targeted social media ads, online banking, and personalised experience on e-commerce platforms, AI has inadvertent and deep influence over humans. Yet, the technology complements their intelligence.

Today, the planet faces several crises—climate change, rising temperatures, nature depletion, pollution, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and waste—and calls for immediate action. AI and data have the transformative power to build sustainable futures for people, society and the planet. With intuitive abilities and innovative solutions, AI and data can improve perceptions and predictions.

Stakeholders have more climate data than ever. The question, however, arises how the available data can be accessed, interpreted, and acted on to manage the said crises. AI can leverage data to tackle environmental challenges, enhance global productivity and efficiency, foster equality and inclusion – all critical to the Paris Agreement pledges and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Powering net-zero ambition

AI can boost climate action strategy and deploy the most effective use cases of decarbonization across sectors. Companies can fulfil their aspirations of being the climate action champions by making AI the very backbone of their businesses. With AI capabilities, they can amplify positive change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollution, optimizing supply chains, and shrinking waste.

Every economic sector has something to gain from AI. To name a few, AI can help detect emissions and leakages at industrial sites. AI-enabled products can offer seamless waste management and efficient energy utility. Retail, consumer products, and automotive sectors can leverage AI for operations and inventory management. AI, combined with other new-age technologies such as augmented reality/ virtual reality (AR/ VR), is also being used by e-commerce companies, giving customers near-real shopping experience and lowering physical store visits. When it comes to client services, AI has assumed the role of a go-to technology for meeting sustainability goals. This, in turn, encourages tech companies to better the AI-based solutions and services for their clients.

While the benefits of AI are plenty and well-established, technology companies must prevent it from becoming a source of environmental crisis. To present a balanced view, the AI for Sustainable Development Goals (AI4SDGs) Think Tank emphasises the need to acknowledge the positive use and negative impact of AI. It also offers AI as a solution to measure the emissions of AI.

Looking at the flipside

The many applications of AI already support sustainable development and green transitions – from digital twin technology that model the Earth to algorithms making data centres more efficient.

As AI continues to penetrate and gain prominence, it has started raising concerns over its carbon footprint. Most AI technologies depend on numerous inference calculations requiring greater processor, network, and storage capacities. This leads to higher power bills, infrastructure costs, and carbon footprint.

To mitigate the consequences, tech companies are developing sustainable AI. They are finding solutions to accurately measure AI energy consumption through its entire life cycle. They collect data and store on a user’s computer, providing precise knowledge of AI’s carbon footprint. Stakeholders are also looking at more efficient ways of utilizing resources for processing, networking, and storage. For example, a co-processor is being used for AI calculations or next-generation computing models such as quantum.

Intelligent today, sustainable tomorrow

It is imperative to focus on green intelligence enabled by AI and other emerging technologies. Intelligent industries, backed by AI and data, will empower companies to form a resilient and sustainable future. Today, governments, industries, international bodies, companies, and individuals understand that more thoughtful initiatives can set AI on a sustainable trajectory.  

The UN Environment Programme's World Environment Situation Room (WESR), launched in 2022, is a digital platform leveraging AI's capabilities to provide near real-time analysis and forecasts on atmospheric carbon, changes in glacier mass and the sea-level rise.

Companies have also built state-of-the-art intelligent infrastructure modelled on AI and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies. The designs procure energy from renewable sources and make office campuses energy-surplus. Faster decision-making, automated processes, and elimination of errors are some of the many proficiencies of AI. By accelerating sustainable action, AI will not only help reinvent the present but shape a positive future for the planet.

By Neelam Gupta, VP, Group Portfolio & Sustainability CoE – India, Capgemini


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Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 350,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of €18 billion. Get The Future You Want!! Capgemini in India comprises over 185,000 team members working across 13 locations. Learn more about Capgemini in India at www.capgemini.com/in-en.

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