By: Elissa Strome
21 Apr, 2021
AI holds promise for our other global threats, energy and the environment
April 21, 2021
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic and it is hard to imagine a future where we are not grappling with a global health and economic crisis. However, the emergency of the pandemic will come to an end, and when it does, the urgency surrounding the climate crisis, the demand for renewable energy, and the burdens we place on our precious wildlife and ecosystems will be ever more dire. This is an area where AI holds real promise for the future, even beyond our Canadian borders. It is our responsibility as humans on this planet to use our skills and knowledge to protect it as much as possible.
Canada, with its hubs of AI talent and research, is poised to make a transformative impact in the areas of energy and the environment.
AI technologies are used to optimize smart grids and identify new materials for renewable energy among others. One trailblazer in AI for energy is Canada CIFAR AI Chair from the Vector Institute Alan Aspuru-Guzik who is conducting research that will accelerate the discovery of clean materials.
Canada, with its hubs of AI talent and research, is poised to make a transformative impact in the areas of energy and the environment.
Canada CIFAR AI Chair from the Vector Institute Graham Taylor is using computer vision to help researchers to rapidly identify thousands of classes of organisms so that we may better understand biodiversity loss and implement measures to conserve and protect ecosystems.
In the fight against climate change, AI is applied to help large emitters reduce their carbon emissions by optimizing supply chains and logistics for greater efficiency. Amii’s Reducing Emissions through Machine Intelligence (REMI) program, funded by the Government of Alberta, brings machine learning expertise to companies of all sizes to help them develop and deploy AI-based solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In Mila’s dedicated focus on AI for humanity, Climate Change has emerged as a key priority. Canada CIFAR AI Chair David Rolnick (Mila) is using AI in the fight against climate change. David is the co-founder and chair of Climate Change AI, an organization that uses machine learning to develop novel solutions toward the climate crisis.
There are many more areas where AI can have a positive impact on the environment, from precision agriculture to natural resources management to optimizing transportation. Canada, through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and the cluster of AI talent that call Canada home, will continue to fuel innovation in energy, the environment and beyond.
Dr. Elissa Strome
Executive Director, Pan-Canadian AI Strategy
CIFAR
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