IBM Advances Geospatial AI to Address Climate Challenges
IBM announced new efforts that
apply its geospatial AI technologies,
including IBM's geospatial foundation model developed in collaboration with
NASA, to climate efforts including analysis of urban heat islands in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE); reforestation across Kenya; and climate
resiliency in the United Kingdom (UK).
IBM continues to advance its AI model strategy
in part through the creation, training, fine-tuning and open-sourcing of
foundation models – models that can be used for different tasks and apply
information from one situation to another – designed for domains beyond natural
language, including geospatial applications.
These models, which are trained on geospatial information such as
satellite images, present a unique opportunity to address climate change
because unlike traditional AI models tailored for specialized tasks, geospatial
foundation models – encompassing satellite and weather data – create knowledge
representations from petabytes and exabytes of climate-relevant data that can
facilitate accelerated and streamlined discovery of environmental insights and
solutions. These models can also be fine-tuned and applied across a multitude
of areas driving or revealing climate change, from flood detection to fire
scars.
"Climate change is a real and pressing issue that we must find new
ways to address as quickly and efficiently as possible, including through
today's most advanced AI technologies," said Alessandro Curioni, IBM
Fellow and Vice President, Accelerated Discovery at IBM. "AI foundation
models utilizing geospatial data can be a game-changer because they allow us to
better understand, prepare and address the many climate-related events
effecting the health of our planet in a manner and speed never before seen. We
are hopeful these technologies can help accelerate the rate at which we derive
and apply solutions for a safer and healthier planet for future
generations."
By the end of this century, many cities will likely experience
disruptive and excessive heat waves if GHG emissions continue at high
levels. To develop sustainable and equitable plans to keep cities habitable,
the rising heat levels must be accurately mapped and addressed.
IBM and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
(MBZUAI) are pioneering an attempt to apply foundation models to the mapping of
urban heat islands – areas with significantly higher temperatures compared to
surrounding locations. This innovative research specifically applies a
fine-tuned version of IBM's geospatial foundation model to understand the urban
environment in Abu Dhabi and how the underlying landscape in the UAE
impacts the formation of urban heat islands.
To date, the model has informed efforts that have succeeded in a
reduction of heat island effects in the region by more than 3oC (5.4 F)1. Going forward,
the model is expected to continue to provide unique insights that inform the
development of urban design strategies designed to help reduce urban heat
stress in changing climates.
Professor Tim Baldwin, MBZUAI Acting Provost, said: "Our
collaboration with IBM marks a groundbreaking effort to utilize foundational AI
models in analyzing and identifying solutions to urban heat islands for Abu
Dhabi and parts of the UAE, a region which is particularly affected by
climate change. This research underscores the vital role of AI in tackling
global issues, emphasizing the urgency of continued exploration and innovation.
By harnessing the power of AI, we are not merely addressing challenges; we are
proactively shaping solutions for a sustainable future. In a world confronted
by unprecedented challenges, MBZUAI stands at the forefront of pioneering
research in AI, recognizing the transformative power it holds."
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