With the ever changing and evolving use of AI in society, it is not surprising that it is now helping to grapple with climate change issues. Whilst the debate continues unabated on the danger of AI, if used correctly it can also be a powerful tool to help us particularly in face of a changing climate. Natural disasters in the world continue, however AI has been helping in areas such as hurricane and typhoon tracking, flood forecasting, wildlife protection and monitoring , earthquake early warning systems and tornado prediction.
In Australia, we can see its use in bushfire tracking. Due to climate change there has been a significant rise of bushfires in Australia.
“A 2020 report into the economic cost of bushfires from Australian National University (ANU) and funded by Fireball International, suggested that not only are bushfires in Australia likely to become more frequent they will also “more likely, last longer and [be] more intense.” ”
Space Australia Fireball International – FIREBALL INTERNATIONAL LOOKING TOWARDS GLOBAL FIRE DETECTION COVERAGE- Ruth Harrison
To reduce this risk, researchers and technology companies have developed AI-powered systems to enhance bushfire detection and response efforts. One momentous example is the Fireball International project, which uses AI and satellite imagery to detect and monitor bushfires in real life time across all regions of Australia. The technology was developed by Fireball International, a collaboration between Australian and international organizations and it uses a variety of a on-the-ground cameras and satellite images from satellites to spot potential fires as early as three minutes after the flames start.
This tech is revolutionary, not only helping to detect the direction and speed of the fires but it can even tell when fires are in the early stages helping to mobilize firefighting resources more quickly and efficiently, potentially reducing the spread and impact of bushfires on communities and ecosystems, including not only the physical effects on the ground but also the pollutant to the air.
The use of this technology shows just how far we have come, By using technology to our advantage we are far better equipped to deal with the threat of bushfires and other natural disasters. A significant advancement in Australia’s ability to manage the impact of bushfires on both human population and the natural environment.