ABU DHABI: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has emphasized the critical role artificial intelligence can play in enhancing sustainability and combating climate change, according to a press release it issued today. The university outlined several initiatives that leverage AI to address climate-related challenges, including efforts to make AI itself more energy-efficient.
According to Emirates News Agency, MBZUAI acknowledged the significant energy demands of AI technologies, which are contributing to increasing power consumption and straining data centers. In response, the university is pursuing various research projects focused on improving the efficiency of hardware and software design. A notable development in this area is MBZUAI’s creation of AIOS, an energy-efficient operating system designed to reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint associated with AI models and applications.
The university also pointed out the alarming loss of 488 million hectares of tree co
ver between 2001 and 2023, a 12 percent decline since 2000. AI, through computer vision and recognition, offers solutions for monitoring land use and assessing environmental changes. MBZUAI’s GeoChat+ tool, utilizing generative AI, supports tasks like quantity surveying and disaster impact assessment, thereby aiding in sustainable development and planning.
In the energy sector, AI is being employed to optimize operations and enhance efficiency as diverse renewable sources are integrated into the power grid. MBZUAI is advancing AI applications for smart energy grids by employing federated learning, a technique that trains machine-learning models on user data without compromising privacy. This approach aims to improve the efficiency and reliability of energy distribution.
AI is also transforming agriculture and food security, with MBZUAI’s robotics department exploring its potential to increase crop yields and optimize resource use. Dezhen Song, professor of robotics and deputy department chair, highlighted A
I’s applications in agricultural surveys and yield estimation. Additionally, MBZUAI’s collaboration with Silal through a Memorandum of Understanding supports the National Strategy for Food Security 2051, focusing on sustainable food production with modern technologies.
As urban areas face rising temperatures due to climate change, MBZUAI, in collaboration with IBM, is developing AI-enabled solutions to identify urban heat islands. This initiative aims to assist city planners and municipalities in mitigating the adverse effects of these heat-prone areas, ultimately contributing to more livable cities amid changing weather patterns.
