How Is AI Empowering Earth Intelligence?

Better understanding our planet -- its changes, patterns and activities on land, sea, forests, and cities -- is the key to improving it. We’ve all experienced or heard about the tragedies resulting from extreme weather events, such as hurricanes Helene and Milton. While the consequences of these natural events have been dire, new Earth intelligence technologies and capabilities are enabling us to better predict them, learn from the ravages they leave behind, and find new ways to outsmart them. The use of artificial intelligence is one of those technologies that is revolutionizing how we not only see the Earth but also deliver actionable solutions to improve it. 

Data sources, such as satellite imagery, sensors and climate data, are being used to train AI models to tell a story and predict future outcomes based on historical trends.  In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, by 2032 observation of Earth via satellites is expected to generate over 2 exabytes (2 billion gigabytes) of data cumulatively. The massive volume and complexity of this data has made it almost impossible to provide any actionable insights. Yet, through the use of AI, this data is able to be processed and analyzed to reveal key truths that can inform future direction and proactive planning. According to the same article, some machine learning models can generate climate estimates up to 1,000 times faster than traditional climate models. They accomplish this by analyzing historical weather data alongside real-time meteorological inputs. In this way, AI models can forecast hurricanes, floods, and droughts, providing communities with critical time to prepare and ultimately saving lives, homes, and critical infrastructure. 

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Yet the role of AI-driven Earth intelligence is not just for monitoring and predicting; it is also a powerful tool for mitigating climate change. Innovations in energy management, such as the use of smart grids, use AI to optimize electricity distribution and reduce our use and reliance on fossil fuels. 

In addition to climate action, Earth intelligence is harnessing the power of AI to process vast amounts of environmental data to enable actionable insights for sustainability and conservation of our Earth and its resources.  

Consider some of the ways that AI is reshaping how we see the planet and address complex environmental challenges. 

Tracking deforestation.  A recent report stated that in 2023, the world lost 6.37 million hectares of forest, which is equivalent to the size of about 9.1 million soccer fields. Researchers are using AI to analyze satellite images to monitor the effects of deforestation in real-time. By training machine learning models on historical data, these systems can detect changes in land use, providing timely information that is vital for conservation efforts. This data also can help industry groups and governments provide data-driven proof of impact so that appropriate investments and resources can be put into conservation activities. 

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Resource management. Another area where AI is making a significant impact is in managing vital resources, such as agriculture and water. In agriculture, precision farming techniques utilize AI to analyze soil health, crop conditions and weather patterns, so that farmers can make data-driven decisions about when to plant, irrigate and harvest, resulting in higher yields, reduced use of resources and less spread of infestations and disease.  

Similarly, in water management, AI systems can analyze consumption patterns and predict shortages, enabling better allocation of water resources. For instance, cities can use AI to optimize their distribution of water, as well as track the quality and health of water resources. 

Biodiversity and conservation. Biodiversity, or the variety of life in our natural world, is critical to maintaining the planet’s health and ensuring the protection of vital plant and animal species. Geospatial intelligence, enabled through satellite imagery and computer vision, can monitor and analyze wildlife populations, helping researchers track endangered species and their habitats. It also can help with habitat restoration efforts by predicting which plant species will thrive in specific conditions, allowing conservationists to make informed decisions about reforestation projects. 

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Further, geospatial intelligence is being used to combat poaching activities by identifying and monitoring traps to protect vulnerable species, and alerting authorities so that appropriate actions can be taken.  

The Future of AI-Driven Earth Intelligence: Multimodal AI 

AI is helping us more closely monitor Earth so that we can better understand what is happening now and in the future. When it comes to addressing issues such as the effects of heat islands in urban areas, for example, AI is enabling a new level of geospatial intelligence. It is helping us count the number and types of roof tops in a particular neighborhood to see how many are repelling or attracting heat, and the proximity of each building to one another. It’s also counting the number of air-polluting vehicles in the street.  

Yet, while this information is extremely valuable, the future of AI-driven geospatial intelligence will go one step further -- not only identify things in data and images, but actually creating real-time reports that explain the ramifications of taking different types of actions and offering the best course of action. These insights also leverage historical data in addition to satellite imagery, so that trends begin to emerge.  

In addition to computer vision, other types of AI, such as large language models for generative AI, will come into play to write the reports. Different forms of AI are coming together, such as computer vision, generative AI, natural language processing, and deep learning. Together they are forming the complete picture by connecting the dots, between massive and unrelated datapoints to create a cohesive whole and provide a blueprint for moving forward. 

Challenges and Ethical Considerations 

While the benefits of AI in enabling Earth intelligence are substantial, challenges remain. Data privacy must be addressed to ensure that the data used to train AI models is kept confidential when it belongs to specific people or organizations. There’s also the issue of bias in the algorithms. AI is only as good as the data it is trained on, and sometimes that data can be biased depending on the data scientists training the algorithm. The key to keeping AI honest when it comes to Earth intelligence lies with oversight from diverse human perspectives and the intellect that is only possible with human logic. 

Earth intelligence is taking on new meaning and insights thanks to new uses of AI. New applications are helping us see the Earth in new ways, showing us a picture of not only what is happening, but how we got there and what we can do to manage the outcome. Through responsible use of AI, we can foster a deeper connection to our planet and work toward a more sustainable future.