{"676172":{"#nid":"676172","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Georgia Tech is Using AI to Solve Sustainability Problems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E- Written by Benjamin Wright -\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech establishes itself as a national leader in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAI research and education\u003C\/a\u003E, some researchers on campus are putting AI to work to help meet sustainability goals in a range of areas including climate change adaptation and mitigation, urban farming, food distribution, and life cycle assessments while also focusing on ways to make sure AI is used ethically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJosiah Hester, interim associate director for Community-Engaged Research in the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) and associate professor in the School of Interactive Computing, sees these projects as wins from both a research standpoint and for the local, national, and global communities they could affect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese faculty exemplify Georgia Tech\u0027s commitment to serving and partnering with communities in our research,\u201d he says. \u201cSustainability is one of the most pressing issues of our time. AI gives us new tools to build more resilient communities, but the complexities and nuances in applying this emerging suite of technologies can only be solved by community members and researchers working closely together to bridge the gap. This approach to AI for sustainability strengthens the bonds between our university and our communities and makes lasting impacts due to community buy-in.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFlood Monitoring and Carbon Storage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/peng-chen\u0022\u003EPeng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering in the College of Computing, focuses on computational mathematics, data science, scientific machine learning, and parallel computing. Chen is combining these areas of expertise to develop algorithms to assist in practical applications such as flood monitoring and carbon dioxide capture and storage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe is currently working on a National Science Foundation (NSF) project with colleagues in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning and from the University of South Florida to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/machine-learning-key-proposed-app-could-help-flood-prone-communities\u0022\u003Edevelop flood models\u003C\/a\u003E in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. As a low-lying state with more than 8,400 miles of coastline, Florida is one of the states most at risk from sea level rise and flooding caused by extreme weather events sparked by climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen\u2019s novel approach to flood monitoring takes existing high-resolution hydrological and hydrographical mapping and uses machine learning to incorporate real-time updates from social media users and existing traffic cameras to run rapid, low-cost simulations using deep neural networks. Current flood monitoring software is resource and time-intensive. Chen\u2019s goal is to produce live modeling that can be used to warn residents and allocate emergency response resources as conditions change. That information would be available to the general public through a portal his team is working on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project focuses on one particular community in Florida,\u201d Chen says, \u201cbut we hope this methodology will be transferable to other locations and situations affected by climate change.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the flood-monitoring project in Florida, Chen and his colleagues are developing new methods to improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of storing carbon dioxide in underground rock formations. The process is plagued with uncertainty about the porosity of the bedrock, the optimal distribution of monitoring wells, and the rate at which carbon dioxide can be injected without over-pressurizing the bedrock, leading to collapse. The new simulations are fast, inexpensive, and minimize the risk of failure, which also decreases the cost of construction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraditional high-fidelity simulation using supercomputers takes hours and lots of resources,\u201d says Chen. \u201cNow we can run these simulations in under one minute using AI models without sacrificing accuracy. Even when you factor in AI training costs, this is a huge savings in time and financial resources.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFlood monitoring and carbon capture are passion projects for Chen, who sees an opportunity to use artificial intelligence to increase the pace and decrease the cost of problem-solving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m very excited about the possibility of solving grand challenges in the sustainability area with AI and machine learning models,\u201d he says. \u201cEngineering problems are full of uncertainty, but by using this technology, we can characterize the uncertainty in new ways and propagate it throughout our predictions to optimize designs and maximize performance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUrban Farming and Optimization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yongsheng-chen\u0022\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E works at the intersection of food, energy, and water. As the Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newcenter.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENutrients, Energy, and Water Center for Agriculture Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, Chen is focused on making urban agriculture technologically feasible, financially viable, and, most importantly, sustainable. To do that he\u2019s leveraging AI to speed up the design process and optimize farming and harvesting operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen\u2019s closed-loop hydroponic system uses anaerobically treated wastewater for fertilization and irrigation by extracting and repurposing nutrients as fertilizer before filtering the water through polymeric membranes with nano-scale pores. Advancing filtration and purification processes depends on finding the right membrane materials to selectively separate contaminants, including antibiotics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Chen and his team are using AI and machine learning to guide membrane material selection and fabrication to make contaminant separation as efficient as possible. Similarly, AI and machine learning are assisting in developing carbon capture materials such as ionic liquids that can retain carbon dioxide generated during wastewater treatment and redirect it to hydroponics systems, boosting food productivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA fundamental angle of our research is that we do not see municipal wastewater as waste,\u201d explains Chen. \u201cIt is a resource we can treat and recover components from to supply irrigation, fertilizer, and biogas, all while reducing the amount of energy used in conventional wastewater treatment methods.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to aiding in materials development, which reduces design time and production costs, Chen is using machine learning to optimize the growing cycle of produce, maximizing nutritional value. His USDA-funded vertical farm uses autonomous robots to measure critical cultivation parameters and take pictures without destroying plants. This data helps determine optimum environmental conditions, fertilizer supply, and harvest timing, resulting in a faster-growing, optimally nutritious plant with less fertilizer waste and lower emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen\u2019s work has received considerable federal funding. As the Urban Resilience and Sustainability Thrust Leader within the NSF-funded AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ai4opt.org\/\u0022\u003EAI4OPT\u003C\/a\u003E), he has received additional funding to foster international collaboration in digital agriculture with colleagues across the United States and in Japan, Australia, and India.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOptimizing Food Distribution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the other end of the agricultural spectrum is postdoc \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/rosemarie-santa-gonzalez\u0022\u003ERosemarie Santa Gonz\u00e1lez\u003C\/a\u003E in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, who is conducting her research under the supervision of Professor Chelsea White and Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/pascal-van-hentenryck\/\u0022\u003EPascal Van Hentenryck\u003C\/a\u003E, the director of Georgia Tech\u2019s AI Hub as well as the director of AI4OPT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESanta Gonz\u00e1lez is working with the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative to help traditional farmers get their products into the hands of consumers as efficiently as possible to reduce hunger and food waste. Preventing food waste is a priority for both the EPA and USDA. Current estimates are that 30 to 40% of the food produced in the United States ends up in landfills, which is a waste of resources on both the production end in the form of land, water, and chemical use, as well as a waste of resources when it comes to disposing of it, not to mention the impact of the greenhouses gases when wasted food decays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo tackle this problem, Santa Gonz\u00e1lez and the Wisconsin Food Hub are helping small-scale farmers access refrigeration facilities and distribution chains. As part of her research, she is helping to develop AI tools that can optimize the logistics of the small-scale farmer supply chain while also making local consumers in underserved areas aware of what\u2019s available so food doesn\u2019t end up in landfills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis solution has to be accessible,\u201d she says. \u201cNot just in the sense that the food is accessible, but that the tools we are providing to them are accessible. The end users have to understand the tools and be able to use them. It has to be sustainable as a resource.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking AI accessible to people in the community is a core goal of the NSF\u2019s AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE), one of the partners involved with the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA large segment of the population we are working with, which includes historically marginalized communities, has a negative reaction to AI. They think of machines taking over, or data being stolen. Our goal is to democratize AI in these decision-support tools as we work toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. There is so much power in these tools to solve complex problems that have very real results. More people will be fed and less food will spoil before it gets to people\u2019s homes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESanta Gonz\u00e1lez hopes the tools they are building can be packaged and customized for food co-ops everywhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI and Ethics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Santa Gonz\u00e1lez, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E III is also focused on the ethical and sustainable deployment of AI and machine learning, especially among marginalized communities. The assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is an industrial ecologist committed to fostering ethical climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. His \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seeel.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESEEEL Lab\u003C\/a\u003E works to make sure researchers understand the consequences of decisions before they move from academic concepts to policy decisions, particularly those that rely on data sets involving people and communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith the administration of big data, there is a human tendency to assume that more data means everything is being captured, but that\u0027s not necessarily true,\u201d he cautions. \u201cMore data could mean we\u0027re just capturing more of the data that already exists, while new research shows that we\u2019re not including information from marginalized communities that have historically not been brought into the decision-making process. That includes underrepresented minorities, rural populations, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent people who may not interface with data collection tools.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBozeman is concerned that overlooking marginalized communities in data sets will result in decisions that at best ignore them and at worst cause them direct harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur lab doesn\u0027t wait for the negative harms to occur before we start talking about them,\u201d explains Bozeman, who holds a courtesy appointment in the School of Public Policy. \u201cOur lab forecasts what those harms will be so decision-makers and engineers can develop technologies that consider these things.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe focuses on urbanization, the food-energy-water nexus, and the circular economy. He has found that much of the research in those areas is conducted in a vacuum without consideration for human engagement and the impact it could have when implemented.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBozeman is lobbying for built-in tools and safeguards to mitigate the potential for harm from researchers using AI without appropriate consideration. He already sees a disconnect between the academic world and the public. Bridging that trust gap will require ethical uses of AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have to start rigorously including their voices in our decision-making to begin gaining trust with the public again. And with that trust, we can all start moving toward sustainable development. If we don\u0027t do that, I don\u0027t care how good our engineering solutions are, we\u0027re going to miss the boat entirely on bringing along the majority of the population.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBBISS Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoving forward, Hester is excited about the impact the Brooks Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems can have on AI and sustainability research through a variety of support mechanisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBBISS continues to invest in faculty development and training in community-driven research strategies, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/faculty-fellows\u0022\u003ECommunity Engagement Faculty Fellows Program\u003C\/a\u003E (with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/about\u0022\u003ECenter for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E), while empowering multidisciplinary teams to work together to solve grand engineering challenges with AI by supporting the AI+Climate Faculty Interest Group, as well as partnering with and providing administrative support for community-driven research projects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is leveraging AI to tackle sustainability challenges, focusing on areas such as climate change adaptation, urban farming, food distribution, and the ethical use of AI technologies. Josiah Hester, BBISS interim associate director for Community-Engaged Research, highlights the importance of community collaboration, emphasizing the role of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems in supporting faculty development and multidisciplinary projects. Joe Bozeman emphasizes the importance of community collaboration and safeguards to ensure ethical and culturally responsive AI use. Peng Chen is developing AI-driven flood monitoring and carbon capture solutions, while Yongsheng Chen is optimizing urban farming with AI to enhance food production and resource efficiency. Rosemarie Santa Gonz\u00e1lez is working on improving food distribution to reduce waste and hunger. These initiatives highlight Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to using AI for sustainable and impactful solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are leveraging AI to address sustainability challenges in areas like climate change, urban farming, food distribution, and carbon storage, while ensuring ethical use of the technology."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2024-08-21 21:00:27","changed_gmt":"2025-06-12 15:49:01","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674688":{"id":"674688","type":"image","title":"AI_Sustainability_Portrait_Montage.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMontage of five portraits, L to R, T to B: Josiah Hester, Peng Chen, Yongsheng Chen, Rosemarie Santa Gonz\u00e1lez, and Joe Bozeman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1724274050","gmt_created":"2024-08-21 21:00:50","changed":"1724274050","gmt_changed":"2024-08-21 21:00:50","alt":"Montage of five portraits, L to R, T to B: Josiah Hester, Peng Chen, Yongsheng Chen, Rosemarie Santa Gonz\u00e1lez, and Joe Bozeman.","file":{"fid":"258241","name":"AI_Sustainability_Portrait_Montage.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/21\/AI_Sustainability_Portrait_Montage.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/21\/AI_Sustainability_Portrait_Montage.png","mime":"image\/png","size":737757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/08\/21\/AI_Sustainability_Portrait_Montage.png?itok=_RrovbIe"}}},"media_ids":["674688"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}