Google's AI Deployment: Making Cities More Sustainable

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Google AI supports sustainability in cities worldwide
Google is deploying AI to boost sustainability in cities through Project Green Light alongside its Tree Canopy tool and wildfire tracking feature in Maps

Google is passionate about promoting environmental sustainability and has been vocal about its efforts for more than two decades.

The tech giant isn't just focused on sustainability across its own operations, but also supports entities worldwide in progressing their environmental strategies.

Central to these efforts is artificial intelligence (AI), which Google utilises extensively in its strategies for enhancing the sustainability of city environments.

Eight ways Google has said it uses AI to benefit cities worldwide:
  • Helping cities cool down “urban heat islands”
  • Showcasing the value of cool roofs
  • Locating the best places to plant trees
  • Reducing vehicle emissions at traffic lights
  • Offering fuel-efficient routes on Google Maps
  • Mapping a billion buildings around the world
  • Detecting wildfires earlier
  • Providing real-time information about wildfires

Sims Witherspoon, Climate Action Lead at Google DeepMind, says: “AI is not a ‘silver bullet’ for the climate crisis.

Sims Witherspoon, Climate Action Lead at Google DeepMind

“As one tool among the many required, we do need its speed and scale to help us understand climate change, to optimise current infrastructure and to accelerate breakthrough science.”

Sustainability in cities

Google is focusing much of its sustainability energy on making cities more sustainable.

According to the United Nations (UN), urban areas are expected to house two thirds of the global population by 2050. This equates to an incoming wave of more than 2.5 billion people into city regions by 2050.

Google sees this surge as a chance to harness AI in propelling scientific and technological advancements that could facilitate sustainable urban living.

Smarter traffic management

Urban centres are hotspots for environmental issues such as high pollution levels, particularly at intersections where pollution is 29 times worse than on open roads.

Almost half of these emissions result from vehicles restarting after stopping, a situation Google is aiming to mitigate with its Project Green Light programme.

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Project Green Light is an initiative designed to reduce stop-go traffic by adjusting traffic light timings.

Importantly, this solution can be implemented using existent infrastructure, avoiding the need for costly new technologies.

Alon Harris, Senior Climate AI Program Manager at Google, says: “In order to achieve a positive climate impact, we want to be able to deploy high-quality Green Light recommendations to many cities globally and scale fast. 

Alon Harris, Senior Climate AI Program Manager at Google

“We purposely set up everything to be simple and lightweight — cities don’t need to invest in any dedicated software or hardware integrations. We just share our recommendations with the city, and then they evaluate them and take action.”

Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google

Google’s CSO Kate Brandt adds: “While we recognise that digital technology alone will not solve the climate crisis, we can already see the tremendous potential that it holds to help accelerate action on sustainability and climate while simultaneously empowering economic growth.”

This underlines Google's commitment to employing digital solutions prudently within its broader environmental strategy.

Enhancing disaster response

Aside from traffic management, Google is advancing its use of AI in real-time crisis response, specifically in tracking wildfires.

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Adam Elman, Sustainability Lead for EMEA at Google, says: “As wildfires continue to impact communities around the world, Google is expanding our AI-enabled wildfire tracking to 15 countries across Europe and Africa.

“We know that people turn to Google when they need timely information – this is just the latest example of the many ways we're using AI to help them find the information they need as our climate changes.”

Adam Elman, Sustainability Lead for EMEA at Google

The system uses AI alongside satellite imagery to delineate the boundaries of significant wildfires, integrating this data into Google Maps and Search.

This facilitates updated emergency responses and informational dissemination, aiding in safer evacuations during crises.

James Manyika, SVP for Research, Technology and Society at Google says: “We believe our approach to AI must be both bold and responsible. 

James Manyika, SVP for Research, Technology and Society at Google

“To us that means developing AI in a way that maximises the positive benefits to society while addressing the challenges, guided by our AI Principles.”

How Google helps plant trees with AI

Google's AI also supports urban forestry through its Tree Canopy tool.

Now accessible in nearly 350 cities globally, this free resource uses AI and aerial imagery to aid cities in mapping and managing their tree cover.

In cities like Austin and Chicago, the tool has been instrumental in helping local governments prioritize tree planting in areas where it's most needed, enhancing not only the environment but also the quality of urban life.

Technologies like Environmental Insights Explorer have further expanded the tool's capabilities, allowing for broader application across various urban settings in both the US and UK.

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