Environment

A machine learning model identified areas likely to have been damaged by Hurricane Leo as it swept through the southern United States.

A machine learning method could help chemists formulate pesticides that target harmful insects but leave bees alone. Researchers at Oregon State University developed models that classify whether or not a chemical is fatally toxic to bees.

You can reduce your model’s carbon emissions by being choosy about when and where you train it.

Computer vision systems are scanning satellite photos to track construction on the Earth’s surface — an exercise in behavior recognition on a global scale.

An autonomous research ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean — with a few pit stops to address challenges along the way. Built by IBM and marine research nonprofit ProMare, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship 400 (MAS400) last week completed a voyage from Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Machine learning is making wind power more predictable. Engie SA, a multinational energy utility based in France, is the first customer for an AI-powered tool from Google that predicts the energy output of wind farms.

Imagine hiking in the mountains past dusk and finding that you can’t see much beyond your feet. And your phone’s battery died so you can’t use a GPS app to find your way home. You might find the quickest path down via gradient descent.

Amazon reported long-term success using machine learning to shrink its environmental footprint. The online retailer developed a system that fuses product descriptions, images, and structured data to decide how an item should be packed for shipping.

Startups are predicting how climate change will affect global commerce. Companies that specialize in climate analytics are training neural networks to help businesses manage risks posed by a warming globe,

Wineries in areas affected by wildfires are using machine learning to produce vintages that don’t taste like smoke. Some California winemakers are using a service called Tastry to identify grapes tainted by smoke from the state’s surging blazes and recommend blends that will mask the flavor.

Insects that spread pollen to fruiting plants are in trouble. A possible alternative: Robots. Farmers in Australia and the U.S. are using robots from Israeli startup Arugga Farming to pollinate greenhouse tomatoes.

An automated early warning system is alerting firefighters to emerging blazes.

A combination of computer vision and drones could help restore dwindling killer whale populations. Researchers at Oregon State University and conservation groups SR3 and Vulcan developed a system that assesses the health of orcas.

A new study suggests tactics for machine learning engineers to cut their carbon emissions. Led by David Patterson, researchers at Google and UC Berkeley found that AI developers can shrink a model’s carbon footprint a thousand-fold by streamlining architecture...

An algorithm is helping cities locate pipes that could release highly toxic lead into drinking water. BlueConduit, a startup that focuses on water safety, is working with dozens of North American municipal governments to locate lead water lines so they can be replaced.