AI roundtable on sustainability

[“Sabrina]” is                                [“Jill”]                                             [“Kelly”]
 GPT-3 from OpenAI                    Jurassic-1 from AI21                   Cohere from Cohere.
 
None of the responses were edited. We prompted the three different AI models three times for each question and selected the best responses. The humans in the loop were Rajeswaran Viswanathan, Aishwarya Jagtap, and Karan Kajrolkar, Capgemini.

How can we use data for a more sustainable world?

SABRINA: Artificial intelligence can be used to make the world more sustainable by helping to harness natural resources while also helping to reduce environmental costs. For example, AI could help to identify and manage plant growth in soils to optimize the use of resources and could also help to predict when and where wildfires could happen.

JILL: In the agricultural sector, AI is enabling farmers to predict crop yield and disease outbreaks, helping them reduce losses, optimize inputs, and improve yields. AI is improving the efficiency of water and energy use in buildings, helping to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In transportation, AI is supporting efficient freight transport, optimized routes, and real-time traffic management. In the energy sector, AI is improving the performance of wind farms and solar panels, helping to reduce carbon emissions.

KELLY: AI can be used to make the world more sustainable. A number of companies are using AI to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. For example, AI-powered predictive analytics and intelligent grid systems can manage the supply and demand of renewable energy, cutting costs and unnecessary carbon pollution generation. AI can also be used to fight climate change. AI self-driving cars, for instance, may reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2050 by identifying the most efficient routes. AI can also help make the world more sustainable. For example, AI can be used to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles, which include human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

Can data and AI make the world more sustainable?

SABRINA: A lot of people think that data and AI can help make the world more sustainable because they can help us better understand how our actions affect the environment and how to make better decisions. However, there are also some concerns that data and AI could actually make the world more damaging because they could lead to more wasteful and destructive behavior.

JILL: Yes, data and AI can make the world more sustainable. Data and AI can help address many sustainability challenges. From enabling smarter transportation to making buildings more energy efficient, from enhancing environmental monitoring to improving waste management, from providing personalized healthcare to improving food supply chains, AI and data can advance sustainability.

KELLY: AI is helping to change the world for the better by making decisions, improving efficiency, and minimizing risk, as well as inspiring innovation and supporting sustainability. For example, AI can help governments and businesses improve supply chain efficiency, monitor progress toward goals, predict threats, and avoid risk. AI can also be harnessed to enhance productivity and increase transparency. This could be done through the integration of AI into environmental sustainability platforms that track supply chain, social and environmental impact, or by sharing information in real-time about energy usage or pollution with consumers, regulators, and other stakeholders.

What are the creative ways in which AI can be used to make the world more sustainable?

SABRINA: Artificial intelligence can be used to make the world more sustainable by helping to harness natural resources while also helping to reduce environmental costs. For example, AI could help to identify and manage plant growth in soils to optimize the use of resources and could also help to predict when and where wildfires could happen.

JILL: In the agricultural sector, AI is enabling farmers to predict crop yield and disease outbreaks, helping them reduce losses, optimize inputs, and improve yields. AI is improving the efficiency of water and energy use in buildings, helping to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In transportation, AI is supporting efficient freight transport, optimized routes, and real-time traffic management. In the energy sector, AI is improving the performance of wind farms and solar panels, helping to reduce carbon emissions.

KELLY: AI can be used to make the world more sustainable. A number of companies are using AI to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. For example, AI-powered predictive analytics and intelligent grid systems can manage the supply and demand of renewable energy, cutting costs and unnecessary carbon pollution generation. AI can also be used to fight climate change.

AI self-driving cars, for instance, may reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2050 by identifying the most efficient routes. AI can also help make the world more sustainable.

For example, AI can be used to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles, which include human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

What should humans do to make the world more sustainable?

SABRINA: There is no single answer to this question, as the best way to make the world more sustainable depends on the individual and community context in which the act of reducing environmental impact is accomplished. However, some potential actions that could be taken to make the world more sustainable include implementing sustainable tourism policies, supporting renewable energy sources, and reducing consumption patterns.

JILL: The answer to how we can make the world more sustainable lies in what we, as individuals, do. What we can do as individuals is reduce our carbon footprint, minimize waste, recycle, plant trees, plant more trees and stop using plastic. We can also try to minimize our meat consumption, buy locally, support local artisans, buy less and donate more, reduce our water consumption, drive less, buy less and donate more, and buy less and donate more.

KELLY: Our choices have a profound impact on the environment and climate. From the way we get around to the food we eat, every day we make choices that affect the environment, the climate, and other species. It is time for us to rethink the way we do things. AI is not going to help if we do not make better choices. Here are some of the best ways you can help make the world more sustainable: recycle, cut back on plastics, buy in bulk, switch to a reusable water bottle, and grow your own food. Be energy efficient, take shorter showers, replace your light bulbs with LEDs, and lower your heat in the winter and raise it in the summer, stop eating meat.

How can humans and AI work together to create a sustainable world?

SABRINA: AI can help us to identify and quantify environmental problems and provide solutions that are tailored to specific local conditions. For example, AI can help us to map land use, water resources, and carbon emissions, and to develop plans for mitigating and adapting to climate change. AI can also help us to better understand and protect biodiversity and to develop sustainable agricultural and forestry practices. In addition, AI can help us to monitor and manage natural resources and to find new sources of renewable energy. By working together, humans and AI can create a sustainable world.

JILL: Humans and AI working together can create a sustainable world. The IPCC has concluded that the world needs to reduce emissions by 45 percent by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. With the right technology, humans and machines can work together to help achieve this goal. The combined power of people and machines can power innovation, create new economic opportunities, and drive climate action.

KELLY: The confluence of human and machine intelligence is enabling radical new approaches to solve the world’s biggest problems. As part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence is aiding everything from clean energy to new lifesaving treatments, and from conservation to policy creation. While AI has the potential to deliver many benefits to humanity, it also has the potential to wreak havoc if it’s not deployed responsibly. When it comes to building a sustainable future, what does it mean to be responsible? At this point, AI will be working side-by-side with humans for the foreseeable future. To maximize the benefits of AI for the future, it is important to involve humans at every stage of the development process, including planning and design.

Interesting read?

Capgemini’s Innovation publication, Data-powered Innovation Review | Wave 5 features 19 such articles crafted by leading Capgemini and partner experts, about looking beyond the usual surroundings and be inspired by new ways to elevate data & AI. Explore the articles on serendipity, data like poker, circular economy, or data mesh. In addition, several articles are in collaboration with key technology partners such AWS, Denodo, Databricks and Dataiku. Find all previous Waves here.