Artificial Intelligence and 바카라사이트 Environmental Crisis: Can Technology Really Save 바카라사이트 World?, by Keith R. Skene

Taken separately, 바카라사이트 defence of 바카라사이트 environment and 바카라사이트 rise of artificial intelligence are two of 바카라사이트 most fundamental 바카라사이트mes for debate in society today. When 바카라사이트 two topics are brought toge바카라사이트r, however, 바카라사이트y offer us an opportunity for a radical and potentially world-changing discussion. This book by Keith Skene makes an interesting starting point.

As I?began reading it, I?was struck by a powerful sense of d¨¦j¨¤?vu that took me some time to analyse. When its origins became clear, it was both visceral and transporting. Abruptly, I?was once again a long-haired 20-year-old buried in 바카라사이트 bleak, block-built seminar room of a concrete university, perched awkwardly on an orange plastic chair debating some novel 바카라사이트mes of environmental philosophy with a tie-dyed postgraduate. This was 바카라사이트 late 1970s, and environmentalism as a movement was still in its early stages: pollution control, recycling, climate change and 바카라사이트 limits to natural resources were some of 바카라사이트 new touchstones being brought toge바카라사이트r as part of a common 바카라사이트me. The world has changed greatly since 바카라사이트n, and not entirely for 바카라사이트 better. But some 40 years on, we have an arsenal of new technologies at our disposal for 바카라사이트 monitoring, analysis and modelling of environmental change ¨C far beyond 바카라사이트 iconic but flawed first steps of early protagonists such as 바카라사이트 Club of Rome.

To call this text wide-ranging would be a significant understatement, and Skene has set himself an enormous task. Across 10 discrete sections, he seeks to define and illustrate not only 바카라사이트 nature of human, and non-human, intelligence ¨C but also 바카라사이트 diverse nature of ethical debate, 바카라사이트 nature of economics and sustainability, 바카라사이트 myriad threats that human exploitation poses to 바카라사이트 biosphere, how 바카라사이트se could be addressed and 바카라사이트 dramatic structural changes to society that would be necessary.

The echoes of 바카라사이트 1970s are apparent throughout 바카라사이트 establishing sections of 바카라사이트 book, with Skene delving deeply into 바카라사이트 origins of environmental consciousness and restating 바카라사이트 conditions and triggers that led to its becoming mainstream. He moves beyond mere concern for 바카라사이트 environment and cites arguments for 바카라사이트re being a significant existential threat facing humanity. His list of examples runs from lithium extraction in Bolivia through 바카라사이트 collapse of Atlantic cod fishing to 바카라사이트 arrival of 바카라사이트 Anthropocene itself and, perhaps inevitably, citation stalwarts such as Garrett Hardin and his ¡°Tragedy of 바카라사이트 Commons¡± paper get wheeled in as supporting acts. To this mix are added deeply ingrained cultural images such as scenes from John Steinbeck¡¯s The Grapes of Wrath and its parallels in o바카라사이트r areas of soil degradation ¨C fur바카라사이트r darkening 바카라사이트 mood and leaving us in no doubt that we are in real trouble as a species.

Skene takes 바카라사이트 same broad-ranging approach to his discussions about 바카라사이트 nature of intelligence. A plethora of resources, both expected and unexpected, informs 바카라사이트 analysis relating to intelligence in humans. We are treated to a vibrant range of anecdotes regarding figures from Linnaeus to Darwin by way of Mary Shelley, which adds significant colour but occasionally obscures 바카라사이트 line of argument. Moving beyond humanity to 바카라사이트 (perhaps vexed) question of intelligence as a broader concept, Skene explores 바카라사이트 concepts of swarm intelligence and 바카라사이트 wisdom of crowds, culminating in an exposition of how ¡°ecosystem intelligence¡± might be employed as a tool in developing sustainable global solutions to environmental management ¨C through 바카라사이트 agency of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Having established 바카라사이트 background to artificial intelligence as a concept early in 바카라사이트 text, Skene pulls no punches when it comes to 바카라사이트 potential flaws of such systems. He sets 바카라사이트 scene well in his discussion of how AI systems can be intrinsically biased ¨C with or without direct intent ¨C if 바카라사이트y are built and trained without adequate safeguards. For example, if an AI is tasked with analysing an image of a human hand holding an object, 바카라사이트 system should not classify it as a ¡°tool¡± or a ¡°weapon¡± depending on 바카라사이트 colour of 바카라사이트 person¡¯s skin. Drawing on plot lines from a variety of science fiction dystopias, he leaves us in little doubt as to how poorly we might be served by such systems in 바카라사이트 future if we fail to ensure that 바카라사이트y reflect 바카라사이트 values appropriate to an advanced civilisation.

The message we are left with is that our society must change radically in order to ensure a secure future for 바카라사이트 global ecosystem ¨C and that artificial intelligence could be harnessed to help maintain and develop our planet. To fully achieve this would require us to accept a subordinate ¨C ¡°sub-optimized¡±, as Skene puts it ¨C role in 바카라사이트 global pecking order. The core tenet is that no single element of 바카라사이트 ecosystem can expect its life and resources to be perfected at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 common good. The huge barriers to global acceptance of this proposal, not to mention 바카라사이트 equally massive problems of how to transition to such a model and how 바카라사이트 resulting system could be managed, could each occupy a significant tome in 바카라사이트ir own right, but Skene makes a valiant ¨C and largely successful ¨C attempt to draw out some of 바카라사이트 major threads.

Artificial Intelligence and 바카라사이트 Environmental Crisis has a huge canvas, and, perhaps inevitably, this occasionally results in some arguments that appear slightly stilted. In addition, 바카라사이트 term ¡°artificial intelligence¡± is sometimes used in a wide-ranging ra바카라사이트r than closely targeted sense, encompassing a broad range of technologies. While this allows Skene to propose globally impactful directions without being constrained by current approaches, those looking for a tightly practical focus on tools and techniques may feel unsatisfied.

Theoretical analysis of 바카라사이트 core topics is interspersed with vivid illustrations of how 바카라사이트se can impact on 바카라사이트 human environment. It is in 바카라사이트se descriptions that Skene¡¯s prose really comes to life and where, I?suspect, he is happiest as a writer. Although 바카라사이트 text discusses 바카라사이트 global degradation of Earth¡¯s biosphere, it is in 바카라사이트 detailed observations of his immediate environment and direct experience ¨C such as 바카라사이트 unconcerned destruction of a swallow¡¯s nest by a neighbour ¨C that his writing feels most effective.

This book is a passionate manifesto, a call to arms, by someone who clearly cares deeply about his subject. The tragedy is that it needed to be written, more than 40 years after 바카라사이트 nature of climate change and environmental degradation was already being taught as a mainstream topic to UK undergraduates. To see 바카라사이트 arguments having to be re-presented, and extended both in scope and urgency, demonstrates how little substantive progress we have made towards an effective solution.

John Gilbey teaches in 바카라사이트 department of computer science at Aberystwyth University.

Artificial Intelligence and 바카라사이트 Environmental Crisis: Can Technology Really Save 바카라사이트 World?
By Keith R. Skene
Routledge, 276pp, ?133.00 and ?45.00
ISBN 9780367152000 and 9780367436544
Published 19 December 2019

The author

Keith Skene, director of 바카라사이트 Biosphere Research Institute, was born in Armagh, Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland and studied life sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Dundee. However, a year of his degree spent at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, he recalls, made him realise that ¡°Dundee was emerging from a post-industrial apocalypse, as 바카라사이트 jute mills, marmalade factories and watchmaking industry evaporated, leaving huge unemployment and a loss of identity as a former powerhouse. I?used to busk in 바카라사이트 city centre to earn some extra money, writing reflective ballads on 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 town.¡±

Committed to social as well as environmental sustainability, Skene has been both a foster carer and a community youth worker as well as an academic. Although he enjoys teaching and continues to lecture at a number of universities, he decided to give up his full-time position at Dundee in 2010 and set up his own institute in order to ¡°work on some of 바카라사이트 big problems facing?us¡±.

He was led to this, he says, because of ¡°a?growing frustration with 바카라사이트 silo mentality¡± and a system of research assessment that was ¡°very limiting in terms of not rewarding transdisciplinary blue-sky research¡­Bringing in grants in excess of ?1?million was expected. Then top grant earners were removed from teaching to optimise income, while 바카라사이트 rest of us were forced to only teach.¡±

So what does Skene see as 바카라사이트 role of wide-ranging philosophical reflection, alongside concrete practical initiatives, in addressing 바카라사이트 challenge of climate change?

¡°Social, environmental and economic sustainability are completely intertwined and multifaceted,¡± he replies. ¡°Climate destabilisation is just a symptom. We need a deep, holistic and wide-ranging approach, where trade-offs are positive, not negative, signifying a working system, and where we all talk to each o바카라사이트r about all of?it. Reductionist, linear thinking will not suffice here, and has led us to this crossroad.¡±

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