AI for Earth

Human society is faced with an unprecedented challenge to mitigate and adapt to changing climates, ensure resilient water supplies, sustainably feed a population of 10 billion, and stem a catastrophic loss of biodiversity. Time is too short, and resources too thin, to achieve these outcomes without the exponential power and assistance of AI. Early efforts are encouraging, but current solutions are typically one-off attempts that require significant engineering beyond what’s available from the AI research community. In this session we will explore, in collaboration with the Computational Sustainability Network (a twice-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) Expedition) the latest applications of AI research to sustainability challenges, as well as ways to streamline environmental applications of AI so they can work with traditional academic programs. The speakers in this session will set the scene on the state of the art in AI for Earth research and frame the agenda for the next generation of AI applications.

Date:
Speakers:
Tanya Berger-Wolf; Carla Gomes; Milind Tambe
Affiliation:
University of Illinois at Chicago; Cornell University; University of Southern California