AI's Role in Climate Crisis: Insights and Limitations

By: Eva Baxter

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has potential to aid in the assessment of the climate crisis, but it is not the complete solution, says Sims Witherspoon, environmental lead at Google DeepMind. While expressing optimism in using AI to address climate change, Witherspoon emphasized the importance of thoughtful framing of the solution.

Witherspoon proposed a strategy called 'Understand, Optimize, Accelerate' at the Wired Impact Conference in London. This framework highlights the three steps to tackle climate change with AI, which include engaging with the impacted, assessing AI's applicability, and then implementing a solution for effective change.

Witherspoon also pointed out that some options to combat climate change might be less viable due to existing regulatory conditions, infrastructural constraints, and other dependencies like limited data availability or suitable partners. He hence urged for the need of a collaborative approach involving the combined contributions of academics, regulatory bodies, corporations, NGOs, and affected communities.

In 2021, Google DeepMind in collaboration with the U.K's National Weather Service Meteorological Office used comprehensive radar data to study rainfall patterns in the UK, illustrating one of the practical applications of AI in analyzing environmental data.