How can innovation help save the planet? Microsoft has an idea!

Temperature rise, species extinction, water scarcity. These are some of the most serious environmental problems humanity needs to deal with quickly. After all, it is a matter of survival.

While there are sustainability-based political agreements and the notion that saving the planet should be everyone's effort, Microsoft believes technology can be a great ally in this struggle.

To this end, the company has allocated to the AI ​​for Earth program $ 50 million over the next 5 years. The goal is that organizations and people around the world who are working on innovative actions to contain the consequences of environmental problems can afford to put their solutions into practice.

“At Microsoft, we believe Artificial Intelligence will change everything as we know it. Our approach as a company is focused on the democratization of technology, so that its characteristics and capabilities can be utilized by individuals and organizations around the world. There are few social areas where AI can be more impactful than helping address, monitor, model and manage Earth's natural systems, ”said Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith.

Artificial intelligence to speed up data processing

Much data is collected to monitor climate change on the planet. Behold, artificial intelligence can speed up the processing of this data and pass it on to people more accurately.

Imagine an area with ground sensors capable of collecting information from environmental data, while artificial intelligence is trained to automatically classify raw data for human interpretation.

“Fundamentally, Artificial Intelligence can accelerate our ability to look at environmental systems and how they are changing on a global scale, convert data into useful information, and apply that information to better manage our natural resources, ” added Smith.

AI for Earth: Understand the program

The expanded $ 50 million strategic plan is aimed at testing work on four fronts of AI for Earth: climate, water, agriculture and biodiversity.

Following this division, the company's plan to expand studies in all these areas is divided into three stages:

  • expand grants worldwide to create and test new AI applications;
  • identify promising projects and invest in them to grow in the market;
  • look for opportunities to incorporate new AI advances in platform services so that others can use them for their own sustainability initiatives.

In addition, the company is committed to providing advanced training for universities and NGOs interested in the subject of artificial intelligence and the environment, and is also investing in an internal multidisciplinary team to work with sustainability.

Maybe the Microsoft initiative encourages other companies in the market to make commitments for the planet? It is waiting to see the results and hoping they are positive.

Did you like the idea from Microsoft? Do you also believe that technology is a good way to recover the environment? Do you have sustainable projects that can catch the company's attention? Leave your opinion in the comments!

How can innovation help save the planet? Microsoft has an idea! via TecMundo