Behind the scenes, industrial artificial intelligence is transforming the efficiency and performance of companies. But the bigger picture is the implication for global sustainability
www.newscientist.com/, May. 29, 2024 –
We've never had such powerful tools to solve the challenges we face in sustainability," says James Cole, Chief Innovation Officer at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), in the UK. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems have the potential to help us understand the world in all its complexity to optimise industrial processes for holistic business, social and environmental outcomes."
The arrival of AI across the industrial sector has been heralded as the next great industrial revolution. But unlike past revolutions, which typically accelerated the consumption of resources, AI offers the opportunity to slash waste while boosting efficiency to levels only previously dreamed of. Within this context, global technology company, Siemens, is working to strengthen the emerging link between AI-optimised industry and environmental stewardship as society pushes towards net-zero carbon emissions.
At heart, AI is software that performs tasks traditionally requiring human intellect, such as understanding text, identifying complex patterns, modelling processes, and making predictions. But in an industrial context, AI systems must be engineered for reliability and security. That allows them to be built into the industrial backbone of economies, optimising and improving processes in everything from healthcare and mobility to power generation and infrastructure.
Take water management. One way to improve water sustainability is to lose less of it through leaks. Yet ageing pipes and ground movements make leaks inevitable. "About 30 per cent of the drinking water the world produces is wasted – a shockingly high figure," says Adam Cartwright, Siemens' Industry Strategy Director for Software in Water and Waste Water. "Every time you avoid losses, you're not only saving money but better managing precious water resources."