A new initiative announced today by IBM (NYSE: IBM) will apply its geospatial artificial intelligence technology, including IBM's geospatial foundation model developed in collaboration with NASA, to climate efforts, including the analysis of urban heat islands in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reforestation in Kenya, and resiliency in the United Kingdom (UK).
Through the development, training, fine-tuning, and open-sourcing of foundation models, IBM continues to advance its artificial intelligence model strategy by creating, training, fine-tuning and releasing them to the community. These models can be used for various tasks and can be used to transfer information between different situations. They have been designed for domains beyond natural language, including geospatial applications.
Due to the fact that these models are trained on geospatial information, such as satellite images, they offer a unique opportunity to address climate change because unlike traditional artificial intelligence models that are tailored to specific tasks. A geospatial foundation model, which incorporates satellite and weather data, creates knowledge representations from petabytes and exabytes of climate-relevant data that can be used to accelerate and streamline the discovery of environmental insights and solutions.. From flood detection to the detection of fire scars, these models can also be fine-tuned and applied across a multitude of areas that are driving or revealing climate change.
From flood detection to the detection of fire scars, these models can also be fine-tuned and applied across a multitude of areas that are driving or revealing climate change.
We are facing a real and pressing issue when it comes to climate change, and we must do everything in our power to address it as quickly and efficiently as possible, including through the use of today's most advanced artificial intelligence technologies," said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow and Vice President of Accelerated Discovery at IBM. AI models that are based on geospatial data can be a game changer because they allow us to better understand, prepare for and respond to the many climate-related events that affect the health of our planet in a manner and speed that have never been seen before.. As a result of these technologies, we are hopeful that we will be able to accelerate the rate at which we derive and apply solutions for a safer and healthier planet for future generations with the help of these technologies
As a result of these technologies, we are hopeful that we will be able to accelerate the rate at which we derive and apply solutions for a safer and healthier planet for future generations with the help of these technologies
An analysis of urban heat islands in the United Arab Emirates
As GHG emissions continue to rise at high levels, many cities will likely experience disruptive and excessive heat waves by the end of this century. To develop sustainable and equitable plans to keep cities habitable, it will be necessary to accurately map and deal with the rising heat levels.
In a groundbreaking initiative by IBM and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), foundation models are being applied to the mapping of urban heat islands – areas with significantly higher temperatures than the surrounding areas. In this innovative study, IBM used a finely tuned version of its geospatial foundation model specifically to gain a deeper understanding of the urban environment in Abu Dhabi and how the surrounding landscape impacts the formation of urban heat islands.
To date, the model has informed efforts that have succeeded in reducing the effects of heat islands in the region by more than 3oC (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit). In the future, this model is expected to provide unique insights that will help to inform the development of urban design strategies that will help reduce urban heat stress in a changing climate by providing unique insights.
In the words of Professor Tim Baldwin, Acting Provost of MBZUAI, "This collaboration with IBM represents a breakthrough in the use of foundational artificial intelligence models to analyze and identify solutions to urban heat islands in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. This region is particularly affected by climate change.". It is our belief that this research emphasizes the importance of AI in dealing with global issues, emphasizing the urgency of continuing explorations and innovations in this field as we move forward. With the power of artificial intelligence, we are not just addressing challenges, we are proactively shaping solutions for a sustainable future by harnessing its potential. In an era of unprecedented challenges, MBZUAI is at the forefront of pioneering research in the field of artificial intelligence, recognizing its transformative potential, and its importance to our future.
In an era of unprecedented challenges, MBZUAI is at the forefront of pioneering research in the field of artificial intelligence, recognizing its transformative potential, and its importance to our future.
Reforestation and water sustainability in Kenya: advancing reforestation

Source prnewswire