A woman with a digital tablet while working at a field
There is a lot of fear and negativity surrounding AI-enabled tech, yet you believe technologies can enhance our future. How so? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Marga Hoek, Author of “Tech for Good”, on Quora:
Global challenges – ecological, social, and governance-related – have risen to such an extent that a new course of action is needed immediately. Even a resilient world like our planet and flexible species like humankind have their limits, and those limits have been reached. Not only does the health of the planet and its people suffer, but so does the stability of the economy when hit with severe setbacks. Although inventions and technological advancements are novel and exciting, it is true that we as humankind often overlook or ignore unforeseen consequences. We are now living with some dire residual effects of past industrial revolutions. Technology has ushered in incredible innovations and benefits, many of which we have yet to realize. However, along with these tech advantages come disadvantages that could be highly damaging if unchecked.
Technology, when harnessed for good, will accelerate economic, environmental and governance progress. The potential economic and societal impact of tech to meet our global sustainability goals is substantial. Recent studies show that existing AI applications across agriculture, energy, transport, and water could conservatively contribute up to $5.2 trillion to the global economy in 2030, a 4.4% increase relative to business as usual. At the same time, these estimates indicate reduced global greenhouse gas emissions by 4%, an amount equivalent to 2.4 Gt CO2e. This, for reference, is equal to the projected 2030 annual emissions of Australia, Canada, and Japan combined. This is one small aspect of the tech-sustainability intersection.
For context, let’s imagine finally finding a way to curb world hunger and overcoming global food shortages by enhancing and automating crop yields. It is possible to materialize this future using the power of technological advancements in AI and data. Through sound and deliberate management of these technological applications, we have the power to balance out inefficiencies and sustainably manage resources. By fostering the use of innovative AI-enables tech solutions, we have the opportunity to solve some of these world problems. With the help of advanced technologies, farmers could more efficiently sow fertile fields and harvest rich produce, thereby achieving an enhanced food production model.
It is exciting that we can now enable automated maintenance of farms with minimal human intervention. That which once required environment-dependent conditions on the field can now be replicated in the greenhouse, resulting in excellent crop yields in terms of quantity and quality. With an AI-based system for data collection, we are automating the labor-dependent process to transform food production forever. Scientists and businesses are now applying AI and data management to the agricultural production process of farming – the most ancient industry is joining forces with the latest in technology. From weather pattern predictions to pest control monitoring, satellite data enables farmers to tap into and integrate massive sources of information into their daily practice. AI brings the data together and synthesizes analytics to provide recommendations to farmers about how they can increase crop production on their land.
This question originally appeared on Quora – the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.