11.3 Earth and environment

Correcting Climate Change with AI

Aside from the ordinary daily problems of spreading global virus pandemics, adversarial geopolitical escalations and the prospect of thermonuclear war, and oh, AGI taking control of the world, climate change is on a trajectory to become a terminal issue for Humans if it is not resolved within the next 20 years [45]. Humans must take corrective action immediately and aggressively.

The current trajectory of CO2 and CH4 emissions in the Earth’s Atmosphere and Oceans, as indicated by the IPCC AR6 and subsequent follow-on reports, the entire environment will experience non-linear average temperature rises over the next several decades, and Earth will ultimately cease to be able to support most plant and animal life. Yes, that includes Humans too.

AI may be able to take an important role in reducing and potentially reversing Climate Change, however AI is unlikely to solve this without significant cooperative Human work, and potentially strictly enforced AI controls. 

Climate Change is a gargantuan and complex problem that requires a collective effort from Human individuals, governments, and industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a sustainable energy system.

However, AI can contribute to Climate Change mitigation in several ways, including:

Optimizing Energy Consumption

AI can be used to optimize energy consumption in buildings, factories, and transportation systems, reducing overall energy use and emissions. For example, AI-powered smart grids can balance supply and demand in realtime, optimizing the use of renewable energy sources in combination with large base-load generators.

Developing Clean Energy Technologies

AI can accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro power, by optimizing their efficiency and reducing costs. For example, AI-powered materials science can accelerate the discovery of new materials for solar cells and battery energy storage.

Reducing Carbon Footprint

AI can help industries and governments reduce their carbon footprint by analyzing emissions data and identifying areas for operational improvement. For example, AI-powered supply chain management can reduce emissions by optimizing transportation routes and reducing fuel energy waste.

Predicting and Mitigating Climate Impacts 

AI can help predict and mitigate the impacts of Climate Change, such as extremely volatile weather events, ice melting and ocean current changes, and continued sea-level rise. For example, more advanced AI climate models can simulate the effects of different emission scenarios, helping global government policymakers make significantly more informed and better decisions that more effectively mitigate the risks.

It is Human's responsibility to solve Climate Change

AI will contribute to Climate Change mitigation, but it is only one part of a much larger amount of aggressive and effective work, that needs significant Human global cooperation at a level that has never been achieved before in history.