AI can ‘help us move mountains’ for people and planet, Watson developer says

Neil Sahota is an IBM Master Inventor and World Wide Business Development Leader in the company’s Watson Group. He works to create solutions powered by Watson, the supercomputer that he helped to develop which famously competed on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! against two human champions in 2011 and won. Sahota is a big believer in the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the lives of people and the health of the environment, and while technology won’t solve all human or ecological problems, it has an important role to play, prompting Mongabay to ask him for an interview. An Interview with Neil Sahota Erik Hoffner for Mongabay: At our conservation tech site Wildtech, we increasingly publish news about how AI and machine learning can be applied to conservation, from using eBird to track songbird populations to applications that can curtail illegal rainforest logging. What are your favorite examples of how AI can aid the environment? Neil Sahota: One of my personal passions in life is efficient water usage and conservation. In my pursuit of AI for Social Good, I’m always looking for opportunities in water management. One favorite example is Project Lucy, where IBM Watson is using AI to enhance African infrastructure, including water management in terms of dealing with water scarcity, and helping to maximize water use in agriculture. Imagine developing new farming techniques to grow more with less water! Another great example is Optimized System Controls of Aquifer Resources (OSCAR) by JEA where they’re boosting their water management capabilities…

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