How AI can save — or destroy — the environment
Let’s start with a little context: grand revolutions have always damaged the environment. But there is reason to believe that the AI revolution won’t.
The first major one was the agricultural revolution (13,000 years ago, in Mesopotamia), which gave rise to rice paddies and cattle farming which both emit huge amounts of methane. Moreover, the clearing of forests for wheat and grain farming reduced the amount of carbon dioxide intake by trees.
However, these were gradual and somewhat inconsequential changes with regard to the environment. However, the scientific and subsequent industrial revolutions (500 years ago and 250 years ago respectively) have had profound impacts on the environment.
Since 1880, there has been a temperature rise of almost 1 degree Celsius. The technological revolution and digital age of the past 30/40 years have only worsened the situation, although there are some benefits. As we are about to discover, computers and AI could be the metaphorical second coming for humanity.
So how can technology help?
Technology has already shown its huge potential for aiding the war on climate change. New advancements in hydro-electric, solar…
