Google.org’s AI Collaboratives take motion on wildfires and meals insecurity

Over the previous 5 years, Google.org has contributed greater than $200 million to AI for social good initiatives addressing urgent world challenges like starvation and public well being, amongst others. Constructing on these efforts, final September we introduced AI Collaboratives, a brand new funding method designed to unite public, personal and nonprofit organizations, and researchers, to create AI-powered options to assist folks all over the world.

Right this moment, we’re sharing extra about our first two focus areas for AI Collaboratives: Wildfires and Meals Safety. Our expertise funding AI-powered options, in depth analysis on AI to assist deal with a few of humanity’s greatest challenges and engagement with Google Research have proven us that each are areas the place AI could be particularly useful. Right here’s an replace on this work thus far.

AI Collaborative: Wildfires

Wildfires are a worldwide disaster, claiming more than 300,000 lives as a consequence of smoke publicity yearly and inflicting billions of dollars in economic damage. The AI Collaborative: Wildfires is a strategic initiative by Google.org bringing collectively main nonprofits, educational establishments, authorities companies and firms to assist folks and communities higher handle fires by utilizing AI. Thus far, Google.org has contributed greater than $27 million to the AI Collaborative: Wildfires.

Google.org has convened greater than 15 organizations, together with Earth Fire Alliance and Moore Foundation, to assist on this vital effort. By coordinating funding and integrating cutting-edge science, rising know-how and on-the-ground purposes, we are able to present collaborators with the instruments they should identify and track wildfires in close to actual time; quantify wildfire threat; shift extra acreage to useful fires; and in the end scale back the harm brought on by catastrophic wildfires.

AI Collaborative: Meals Safety

Nearly one-third of the world’s population faces average or extreme meals insecurity as a consequence of excessive climate, battle and financial shocks. The AI Collaborative: Meals Safety will strengthen the resilience of worldwide meals programs and enhance meals safety for the world’s most weak populations via AI applied sciences, collaborative analysis, data-sharing and coordinated motion. Thus far, 10 organizations have joined us on this effort, and we’ll share extra updates quickly.

The facility of collaboration

AI Collaboratives are rooted in the concept that AI’s potential lies not simply within the know-how itself, but additionally in partnerships that make its accountable utility doable. By addressing pressing challenges like wildfires and meals insecurity, our hope is that these Collaboratives create a basis for AI to make significant societal contributions for years to return.