Many anxieties and concerns exist about the rise of AI across nearly all industry sectors. These typically range from its potential to replace human positions within labor markets all the way up to a genuine fear that AI could become far too powerful and prove to be a disaster for the human race. Yet to avoid lapsing into such alarmism, many proponents of this particular revolution – which by now seems pretty inevitable – focus on how AI could save the world rather than end it. And when it comes to saving the world, the number one enemy to overcome in the modern day is certainly the impending environmental disaster that unchecked greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion is constantly threatening to bring about.

The Apotheosis of AI

The many fears aside, AI has been having something of a moment in the sun in recent years. Right across the business world, people are waking up to what a powerful tool it can be when it comes to business efficiency and workforce management. Modern businesses now typically make use of things such as big data, AI hardware like manufacturing robots, and incredibly powerful algorithms that have proven an incredible boon for marketing.

There is now an open-source community of AI tools that are proving applicable at all levels of business, from huge multinationals to small startups. Where online businesses are concerned, there are even simple AI tools such as TTS (Text to Speak) and TTV (Text to Video) avatars, which can offer visitors guidance far beyond what was possible with the simple chat bots of yesterday. Companies such as AI avatar firm AI STUDIOS are now devoted to providing such services. In other words, AI is well and truly out of research labs and into the everyday running of businesses of all kinds.

There is even AI encroachment into our households, from simple applications like the refrigerators that monitor temperature to advanced systems like the so called “smart buildings” made possible by Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

AI And Environmental Protection

Something that certainly demonstrates the incredible versatility of AI is that, as well as revolutionizing the business world (a sector of society not always considered entirely beneficial to the environment), it is has also found potential applications in environmental protection as well. Below are listed some of the ways that AI could save the planet:

Route and Traffic Optimization

When it comes to transport, the electric vehicle revolution is in itself great news for the health of the environment. But the tidal wave of electric vehicles soon set to fill our roads could also work in tandem with AI technology to achieve substantial greenhouse gas reductions. Traffic optimization, eco-driving algorithms, and autonomous ride-sharing services will all be directed by AI.

Distributed Power Grids

AI has the ability to predict patterns of supply and demand when it comes to distributing energy across the grid. This has the potential to improve energy storage, efficiency, and load management. This will ensure that power is conserved more often and distributed sustainably.

Smart Agriculture

It’s odd to think of such an ancient industry as becoming infused with AI systems, but that is certainly what could happen. Early prediction of crop diseases and intelligently timed nutrition for livestock are the AI technologies that could soon have a revolutionary effect in this sector.

Ultimately, there’s no getting away from AI as we advance into the future. And if we want to do something about the environment, we cannot fail to do that. AI has enormous potential benefits; the trick is to ensure that these always outweigh the downsides and allay the fears which persist.