Hot off Google unveiling its own initiative for improving artificial intelligence's impact on humanity, fellow AI research giant Microsoft has announced a program dedicated to improving the planet through machine learning.
AI for Earth (opens in new tab), revealed during Microsoft's AI event (opens in new tab) today in London, will assist organizations using AI for environmental protection, innovation and research — particularly those addressing issues in water conservation, agriculture, biodiversity and climate change.
According to Microsoft (opens in new tab), AI for Earth will operate on three major "pillars" — granting access to Microsoft's resources for research groups, providing educational resources to teach said groups how to utilize AI optimally and special lighthouse projects that innovate AI's ability to study the environment.
#Microsoft reinforces #AI vision at London event - https://t.co/qaJtfKOlGE pic.twitter.com/D0bFrQ7vT0July 12, 2017
To that effect, Microsoft also announced today it will invest $2 million into AI for Earth, which will manifest as research grants (opens in new tab) enabling access to its cloud and AI tools, as well as technical training on its various platforms.
Though a newly announced initiative, Microsoft has already demonstrated concepts for what AI for Earth could accomplish, including past work where it's used machine learning and cloud computing to monitor watershed in the Chesapeake Bay (opens in new tab), track soil moisture levels (opens in new tab), and power Project Premonition (opens in new tab) — a multi-step program that aims to analyze and prevent mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
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