An expert panel will talk next week about how artificial intelligence can help us fight global heating.
Oct. 26 to 30 is Sustainability Awareness Week at the University of Alberta. The event, now in its 12th year, typically sees people from across the Edmonton region gather at the U of A for tours, workshops, and lectures on how to live a greener life.
This year’s free event was happening entirely online due to the pandemic, which might actually make it more eco-friendly than usual in terms of its carbon footprint, said Bob Summers of the U of A’s Sustainability Council.
Sustainability Week will see expert panels discuss topics such as fair trade, hydrogen fuel cells, clean drinking water, and plant-based diets.
Oct. 27 features a talk by researchers with the U of A’s AI4Society team who would discuss how machine learning systems could help humanity manage global heating.
“Most of our decisions today are supported by analyzing data,” said AI4Society director Eleni Stroulia, and that includes issues such as climate change and energy efficiency.
Smart thermostats can monitor how we use our homes to automatically adjust temperatures and reduce energy use, she said as an example. AI systems can also track changes in power use and price so our homes switch over to solar batteries whenever prices spike. Other researchers were using machine learning techniques to design better water treatment plants and predict forest fires.
Visit bit.ly/2FRWJ4X to register for this year’s events.
