Amid the rising threat of severe weather patterns, three organisations are collaborating to launch a social coding challenge to develop impactful artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions that address this issue.
The International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), an organisation under the auspices of Unesco; data science platform Zindi; and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have launched the “AI for Equity Challenge: Climate Action, Gender and Health”.
The six-month global virtual contest focuses on creating solutions that tackle gender and health equity issues exacerbated by climate change, says a statement.
It will support researchers, non-profits and start-ups applying advanced cloud computing and AI solutions that address some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The challenge will focus on building new programming that supports more equitable futures at the intersection of gender, health and climate action, targeting SDGs three (good health and well-being), five (gender equality) and 13 (climate action).
Davor Orlic, COO of IRCAI, says: “As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, it is crucial that we harness its potential to address real-world challenges. At IRCAI, our mission is to guide the ethical development of AI technologies, ensuring they serve the greater good and are inclusive of marginalised AI communities.
“This challenge, in collaboration with AWS and Zindi, is an opportunity to discover and support the most innovative minds that are using AI and advanced computing to create impactful solutions for the climate crisis.”
According to the statement, participants will use data made available through the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, with a preference towards building on AWS AI services and infrastructure, to develop solutions.
A steering committee made up of members of Naixus, a network of AI and sustainable development research organisations, being convened through IRCAI, will select proposals that demonstrate the most innovative use of advanced AI technologies, and the biggest promise for global impact on health and gender equity, and climate action.
Selected teams will receive expert guidance in AI sustainability and responsible AI, along with AWS credits to build their solutions, says the statement.
Dave Levy, vice-president of Worldwide Public Sector at AWS, adds: “Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time, and we believe innovation is key to overcoming it.
“The AI for Equity Challenge invites innovators to bring forward their most visionary ideas, and we’ll support them with AWS resources – whether that’s computing power or advanced cloud technologies – to turn those ideas into reality.”
The statement indicates the challenge will proceed in phases, with the first round of technical proposal submissions closing on 4 November, culminating with an announcement of the winning solutions in February 2025.
To apply for the AI for Equity Challenge, click here.
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