News/Environment
A Cambridge Boat Club’s Docks are Free of Goose Poop Now — Thanks to AI
AI solution tackles persistent goose problem on Charles River docks: A retired engineer has developed an innovative artificial intelligence system to keep geese and their droppings off the Riverside Boat Club's docks in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The challenge: Rowers along the Charles River have long struggled with Canada geese occupying docks and leaving behind messy droppings, making launching boats a less-than-pleasant experience. Previous attempts to deter geese, including fencing, kites, noisemakers, and motion-activated sprinklers, proved largely ineffective. The issue was particularly problematic in the early morning hours when many rowers prefer to exercise. The innovative solution: Andy Roy, a retired biomedical...
read Sep 6, 2024How AI is Transforming Farming with Smarter Yield Predictions
AI's transformative impact on agriculture: Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing farming practices, yielding significant benefits for the global food system, economy, and environment. Economic advantages of AI-powered yield prediction: Advanced AI models are enabling more accurate crop yield forecasts, which have far-reaching economic implications. Precise yield predictions allow governments to anticipate potential food shortages, plan imports/exports, and efficiently allocate resources to ensure food security. Accurate forecasts play a crucial role in market stability, helping to manage food prices and inflation while protecting farmers, businesses, and consumers from sudden fluctuations. Generative AI solutions promise to predict yields for various commodities up to...
read Sep 4, 2024How AI is Transforming Emissions Data into Business Opportunities
Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to emissions data can reveal valuable insights for businesses, helping them reduce their carbon footprint and identify investment opportunities. However, the effectiveness of AI in analyzing emissions data hinges on data consistency and organization across complex enterprises and their supply chains. The dual challenge of emissions data: Companies face regulatory pressures to report and reduce emissions while also seeking to capitalize on business opportunities related to emissions management. Regulations are driving the need for accurate emissions reporting and reduction over time. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act offers investment credits for carbon sequestration and storage, creating potential...
read Sep 2, 2024AI Slashes Home Solar Costs by 50% in 24 US States
AI-driven solar innovation: Monalee, a venture-backed startup, is revolutionizing the home solar industry by leveraging artificial intelligence to significantly reduce costs and streamline the installation process. Monalee's AI-powered technology can cut soft costs associated with solar installations by more than 50%, passing these savings directly to homeowners. The company utilizes machine learning, computer vision, and advanced algorithms to generate highly accurate solar installation quotes and designs within seconds. On average, Monalee has saved over 2,000 customers approximately $12,000 across 24 US states. Streamlined quoting process: Monalee's digital-first approach transforms the traditional solar quoting experience, making it faster and more efficient...
read Sep 2, 2024Meta’s AI Push Drives 34% Surge in Data Center Energy Use
Meta's data center usage surges: Meta's electricity consumption in its data centers reached nearly 15,000 GWh in 2023, marking a significant 34 percent increase as the company ramps up its AI infrastructure. The company's total data center electricity usage hit 14,975,435 MWh, with a notable 97 percent jump in leased data center facility usage to 2,187,020 MWh. Meta's Prineville, Oregon campus was the largest consumer of electricity among its 16 facilities, using 1,375,321 MWh. The company maintains that 100 percent of this electricity comes from renewable energy sources, primarily through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Efficiency...
read Aug 26, 2024Why AI’s Insatiable Energy Demand Is More Nuanced Than You Think
AI energy consumption in context: The growing adoption of artificial intelligence has raised concerns about its energy use, but a closer examination reveals a more nuanced picture of AI's environmental impact and efficiency. Large language models and image generation AI systems consume significant energy during training, but their operational energy use (inference) is much lower. While data centers are major energy consumers, AI currently accounts for a small fraction of their total energy use. When considering the utility provided, AI may be more energy-efficient than alternative methods for many tasks. Comparing AI to traditional methods: In various applications, AI demonstrates...
read Aug 21, 2024Construction Tech Firms Secure Funding to Advance AI-Driven Development
Construction tech advancements: Two innovative companies in the construction and materials sector have secured significant funding to expand their operations and deploy cutting-edge technologies. Trunk Tools, a construction technology startup, raised $20 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to $30 million. Materials technology firm Fortera secured $85 million in Series C funding to scale up production of its reduced carbon cement process. AI-powered project management: Trunk Tools is introducing a new "schedule agent" feature that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance construction project management and coordination. The AI-driven schedule agent links scheduled activities to relevant documentation, providing a...
read Aug 20, 2024SupPlant is Helping Farmers Boost Crop Yields and Cut Water Use with AI
AI-powered agriculture revolutionizes farming: SupPlant, an AgTech startup, is leveraging artificial intelligence to help farmers optimize water usage, improve crop yields, and adapt to climate change challenges. The company's "AI Doctor" combines large language models with agricultural data and expert knowledge to provide farmers with tailored recommendations and diagnostics. Real-time data from IoT sensors in fields is collected every 30 minutes, processed, and used to generate early warnings and personalized advice for farmers. This AI-driven approach has demonstrated significant benefits, saving farmers an average of 30% on water usage and increasing crop yields by 5-10%. Technological infrastructure enabling data-driven agriculture:...
read Aug 20, 2024NVIDIA’s New AI Weather Model Boosts Short-Term Forecast Accuracy by 10%
Breakthrough in AI-powered weather prediction: NVIDIA Research has unveiled StormCast, a groundbreaking generative AI model designed to emulate high-fidelity atmospheric dynamics and enable reliable mesoscale weather prediction. Developed in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Washington, StormCast represents a significant advancement in AI-driven weather forecasting technology. The model focuses on mesoscale prediction, which covers an area larger than individual storms but smaller than cyclones, filling a crucial gap in current weather forecasting capabilities. StormCast builds upon NVIDIA's existing CorrDiff model by adding hourly autoregressive prediction capabilities, enhancing its ability to provide detailed and accurate short-term forecasts....
read Aug 19, 2024Major Tech Companies Explore Nuclear Power to Meet AI’s Energy Demands
Nuclear power emerges as solution for AI's energy appetite: Major cloud providers are exploring nuclear energy to meet the growing power demands of AI data centers, signaling a significant shift in the tech industry's approach to sustainable energy. The big picture: As artificial intelligence and cloud computing continue to expand, hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google are turning to nuclear power as a carbon-free alternative to fuel their massive data centers and meet sustainability goals. AWS has made a bold move by purchasing a 960-megawatt nuclear-powered data center site from Talen Energy for $650 million, demonstrating the company's commitment to...
read Aug 18, 2024Inside Be.Ta Labs’ 100% Solar-Powered AI Operation
Pioneering sustainable AI: Be.Ta Labs harnesses solar power for eco-friendly AI operations. Be.Ta Labs has made a significant breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence by powering their entire AI and large language model (LLM) infrastructure exclusively with sustainable solar energy, setting a new standard for environmental responsibility in the tech industry. Environmental impact of AI development: The carbon footprint of artificial intelligence has become a growing concern in recent years, with significant implications for climate change and sustainability efforts. Training a single AI model can potentially emit as much CO2 as five cars over their entire lifetimes, highlighting the...
read Aug 15, 2024AI Boosts Rainfall Prediction Accuracy in India’s Complex Terrain
The integration of artificial intelligence with traditional weather forecasting models has led to a significant breakthrough in predicting heavy rainfall events in India's complex terrain regions. Technological innovation in weather forecasting: IIT-Bhubaneswar has developed a hybrid technology that combines the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with deep learning algorithms to enhance prediction accuracy for intense rainfall events. The new hybrid model demonstrates nearly twice the prediction accuracy of conventional models at the district level, with forecasts extending up to 96 hours in advance. This technological advancement focuses on complex terrain areas such as Assam and Odisha, which are particularly...
read Aug 14, 2024AI’s Energy Demands Spark Waste-to-Power Innovation
Artificial Intelligence's rapid growth is creating unprecedented energy demands, prompting innovative solutions to meet these needs while addressing environmental concerns. The AI energy challenge: The computational power required for sustaining AI's growth rate is doubling every 100 days, creating a massive energy demand that threatens to outpace current supply capabilities. By 2030, the additional power demand generated by U.S. data centers is estimated to be nearly seven times that of New York City's current annual electricity consumption, according to Wells Fargo. Goldman Sachs projects that nearly half of the supply of new energy must come from renewables, but traditional sources...
read Aug 13, 2024AI-Driven Data Centers Embrace Liquid Cooling to Beat the Heat
Liquid cooling emerges as a critical solution for data centers grappling with the heat generated by AI workloads and increasingly powerful processors, marking a significant shift in cooling technology adoption. The big picture: As AI spending continues to rise, data centers are facing unprecedented thermal challenges, making liquid cooling a necessity rather than a luxury for maintaining operational efficiency and reliability. A Spring 2024 survey of 812 IT professionals revealed that 38.3% expect to implement liquid cooling in their data centers by 2026, nearly doubling the percentage from early 2024. This rapid adoption trend is driven by the need to...
read Aug 10, 2024xAI’s New Data Center is Making a lot of People in Memphis Very Unhappy
Elon Musk's ambitious new xAI data center in Memphis, Tennessee, touted as the "most powerful AI training cluster in the world," is stirring up both excitement and concern among local residents and officials due to its significant energy and water requirements. Massive power demands: The xAI facility is requesting 150 megawatts of electricity from the local utility, equivalent to the power consumption of 25,000-30,000 homes. While awaiting infrastructure upgrades, the data center is currently relying on on-site natural gas generators to meet its substantial energy needs. The local utility has assured that the facility's power demands will not affect other...
read Aug 8, 2024Context Labs Is Using AI and Blockchain to Fight Climate Change
The emergence of Context Labs marks a significant advancement in the fight against climate change, offering companies a powerful tool to measure and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through AI-enabled data analytics and verification. Innovative emissions tracking platform: Context Labs has developed a groundbreaking system that adds context to emissions data from various sources, providing companies with a comprehensive view of their environmental impact. The platform integrates data from sensors and satellites, offering third-party verification and recording information on a blockchain for enhanced reliability and transparency. Companies gain access to an interactive interface that allows them to visualize emissions across...
read Aug 8, 2024NZ Company is Showcase of AI-Powered Waste Management
Waste Management New Zealand's digital transformation is reshaping the country's leading materials recovery, recycling, and waste management provider, with a focus on innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. The big picture: Lena Jenkins, Chief Digital Officer at Waste Management New Zealand, is spearheading a comprehensive digital strategy called "Porohita," which aims to revolutionize the company's operations and culture. Waste Management NZ supports approximately 1,800 employees across more than 70 sites and manages over 900 trucks, making it a significant player in the country's waste management sector. The "Porohita" strategy, meaning "to be circular," reflects the company's commitment to sustainable practices and circular...
read Aug 7, 2024Google’s New Pixel Weather App Promises AI-Powered Forecasts
The new Pixel Weather app, currently available for manual sideload, offers a comprehensive suite of weather-related features and is expected to officially launch with the Pixel 9 before rolling out to other Pixel devices via the Play Store. Key features and functionality: The native Pixel Weather app provides users with real-time weather information and forecasts for their current and saved locations, along with customizable notifications and interactive weather cards. Users can receive timely precipitation notifications and daily weather forecast updates to stay informed about changing conditions. The app allows for rearrangeable weather cards, giving users the flexibility to prioritize the...
read Aug 6, 2024Perceptive Space Raises $2.8M to Transform Space Weather Forecasting
Perceptive Space, a Canadian aerospace startup, has secured $2.8 million in pre-seed funding to develop an AI-powered space weather prediction platform, aiming to provide more accurate and timely forecasts than existing government systems. Innovative approach to space weather forecasting: Perceptive Space leverages AI and sensor fusion technologies to analyze decades of space weather data, claiming to achieve predictions up to 10 times more accurate than current forecasts. The company's platform aims to mitigate the impacts of space weather on satellite operations, communications systems, and other critical space infrastructure. By utilizing advanced AI techniques, Perceptive Space seeks to address the limitations...
read Aug 4, 2024How AI-Powered Farming Machines Are Transforming California Agriculture
The agricultural industry in California is witnessing a significant shift towards automated, AI-driven farming technologies as concerns over traditional herbicides and pesticides grow. This transformation is reshaping the landscape of weed and pest control, with potential far-reaching implications for farm labor, environmental health, and crop management practices. Technological revolution in agriculture: A recent field day in Salinas, California, showcased a range of innovative farming machines that employ artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced sensors to perform tasks traditionally done by manual labor or chemical treatments. Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder, a 9,500-pound machine, uses deep-learning AI models to identify and vaporize weeds with...
read Aug 3, 2024AI’s Energy Hunger Threatens Tech Giants’ Climate Goals
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating a significant environmental challenge for tech giants, as the energy-intensive nature of AI development and deployment conflicts with their ambitious climate goals. AI's growing carbon footprint: The expansion of AI capabilities and usage is leading to a substantial increase in carbon emissions for major tech companies: Microsoft reported a nearly 30% surge in carbon emissions since 2020, primarily due to the construction and operation of data centers needed for AI development. Google experienced an even more dramatic 48% rise in emissions compared to 2019 levels. These trends highlight the growing tension...
read Aug 2, 2024Salesforce Exec Says AI Can Solve Climate Crisis Despite Energy Demands
A tech executive sees AI as a climate solution despite its energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. Salesforce's Suzanne DiBianca believes AI's potential to tackle complex climate problems outweighs its environmental costs. Balancing AI's climate impacts: While the computing power behind AI is energy-intensive and contributes to tech companies' carbon footprints, DiBianca expressed optimism about AI's role in addressing climate change: In a recent Salesforce survey of nearly 500 sustainability professionals, about 60% said they believe the benefits of AI can balance out its negative environmental impacts. However, 40% of respondents expressed concern about AI's potential to hinder their organization's...
read Jul 31, 2024Generative AI is Straining Aging US Power Grid
The rapid rise of generative AI is straining the aging US power grid, raising concerns about its ability to meet the technology's growing energy demands. Power grid challenges: The United States' electrical infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the power-hungry nature of generative AI models: Transformers, which convert raw electricity into usable power, are on average 38 years old and have become a major cause of power outages. Building new transmission lines has faced resistance due to the increased costs that are often passed on to local residents in the form of higher electric bills. Water scarcity and data...
read Jul 27, 2024AI Computing Means Doubling Data Center Electricity Demand by 2026
The increasing deployment of AI is leading to significant environmental concerns due to its heavy emissions footprint. A recent report from Google highlighted a 13% rise in its emissions in 2023, primarily attributed to increased electricity consumption in its data centers driven by greater AI usage. As AI becomes more widely adopted, its impact on global energy consumption is expected to grow substantially, potentially doubling the electricity demand of data centers by 2026. AI's energy-intensive nature: AI models require significantly more computational power and generate more heat compared to traditional searches, leading to higher electricity consumption and cooling needs in...
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