AI in practice

Deepmind says AI can help with climate change by understanding, optimizing and accelerating solutions

Matthias Bastian
A treein the middle of the picture, one is still green, but in a desert, the left side of the tree is gray and spoiled.

Midjourney prompted by THE DECODER

Deepmind is using AI to tackle climate change in three ways, according to Sims Witherspoon, Deepmind's head of climate action. First, AI can help understand climate change through better prediction and monitoring models. Second, AI can optimize current systems and existing infrastructure, such as improving energy efficiency in data centers. Finally, AI can accelerate breakthrough science, such as controlling plasma shapes in nuclear fusion reactors for carbon-free energy. However, challenges include access to climate-critical data and collaboration with domain experts. You can read the full interview with Witherspoon at WIRED.

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