Empowering humanity: 10 Ways AI is fighting global crises

In a world full of dystopian visions and alarming predictions about how artificial intelligence will lead to the end of mankind, a positive, constructive, and hopeful counter-narrative is emerging. It hints at a world where the human problems that keep us up at night and seem impossible to solve could be helped, if not completely solved, by the very thing that makes many people afraid: AI.

Artificial intelligence, which is often shrouded in secret, hotly debated in both academic and social circles, and often portrayed as a scary future in the history of science fiction, is without a doubt the most powerful tool that humans have ever come up with. It is no longer just speculation to say that it might be able to solve the problems we face in the 21st century, which is a time of high global stress.

The truth is that artificial intelligence could be our best friend. This amazing piece of technology is the result of a grand match between human creativity and the rules of math. It promises a better tomorrow. It could be the last chance for people to save themselves from destroying themselves.

So, while it’s true that AI poses grave challenges, it’s also important to remember that every new day brings us closer to realizing its potential to be a real life-changer, a superhero in its own right. AI isn’t just a high-tech tool we have at our disposal; it’s also a lighthouse that shows us the way to a future where we not only live but also thrive.

Here are 10 potential human crises that AI can help us eliminate all together and provide a better future to us all.

1. Changing the way we deal with pandemic threads

Out of the wreckage of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may gain a very important lesson: planning is the most important thing! The rush to make a vaccine showed us how vulnerable we were and how much it harmed humankind.

We definitely weren’t prepared for this! However, imagine a world where AI could speed up the process of making vaccines, not just by a few months, but by huge amounts that could save millions of lives.

AI is powerful in more ways than just coming up with a solution. Imagine that AI-powered text and data mining tools were constantly scanning huge amounts of data, putting together a detailed timeline of a virus’s past, transmission rates, diagnostics, and ways to deal with it in a timely manner.

We can imagine that deep learning models search through huge databases of existing and experimental drugs to find clues about possible treatments even before the first case hits the news.

2. Fortifying our cybersecurity protocols

In a world that is becoming more and more digital, the danger of cyber threats is bigger and scarier than ever before. More than just spam and phishing, these threats cover a wide range, including the terrifying possibility of unauthorized access to private, high-risk systems like nuclear facilities. AI is one of the most important tools we have for keeping our digital world safe from such serious threats.

Think about AI systems that use machine learning techniques to constantly watch how networks behave. These algorithms are made to learn from and change to patterns in a network. This helps them figure out what kind of behavior is considered “normal.” Once an anomaly, which is behavior that is very different from what is expected, is found, the AI system sends out a warning. This stops any possible cyberattacks from happening.

AI is also able to predict possible threats because it can handle large amounts of data quickly. Using data from past cyberattacks and information about potential threats, AI tools can build predictive models that can predict likely future attacks and help us prepare for them. This makes the security infrastructure stronger against the weaknesses that have been found.

3. Minimize the effects of climate change

Climate change, the huge monster that threatens our survival, has started to show its teeth. Each hot day, each heatwave that gets worse, and each wildfire that can’t be put out are painful tattoos of a warming world on the surface of our Earth. The fact that 2020 was one of the warmest years ever recorded is a chilling warning of this.

Only last year, 68,988 wildfires burned 7.6 million acres of land, which is a lot of land. Most of this damage, about 3.1 million acres, was done in Alaska. Fast forward to June 1, 2023, and nearly 18,300 flames have destroyed over 511,000 acres. These numbers are more than just numbers; they are problems in our world that need to be solved quickly.

AI could be our best ally and save the world from climate change. Using AI could mean smarter models for predicting weather trends, better strategies for preventing damage, and better use of resources during these kinds of disasters.

AI could also find patterns and understand what’s the probability of a wildfire to start in a certain area with approximate timing. The AI could also be applied in other areas like preventing greenhouse emissions, preventing deforestation, improving energy efficiency and so on.

If there was ever a time to do something about climate change, it’s now, and AI could bring the very best solutions to date.

4. Drastically reducing transportation casualties and tragedies

Artificial Intelligence has an immense degree of capacity to change transportation and make car accidents far less likely to happen. AI can help with traffic management, logistics, supply chain management, and fuel usage by analyzing data from many different sources and learning from patterns. But what’s even more important is that AI can directly help to reduce traffic problems and deaths.

Drunk driving: AI technology can help solve this problem in a big way. Cars can be equipped with AI-based breathalyzers that can measure how much alcohol is in the driver’s breath and keep the car from starting if the amount is too high. This can cut down on the 35% of fatal crashes that are caused by drunk driving. AI can also be used to predict DUI-prone areas or times based on past data. This can help law enforcement better organize resources and possibly lower DUI rates, like the 51% seen in Montana.

Speeding: When AI is built into cars, the speed can be automatically adjusted to make sure it stays within the law. This will cut down on the 29% of fatal crashes that are caused by speeding. AI can also look at real-time traffic data and road conditions to change the speed of the car so that accidents are less likely. This could help a lot in places like South Carolina, where too much speed is the cause of 46% of fatal crashes.

Seatbelts: AI can help solve the problem that 46% of drivers and 47% of passengers in fatal crashes do not wear seatbelts (4). Cars with advanced AI-based safety systems can not only remind the driver and passengers to tighten their seatbelts, but they could also keep the car from starting if the seatbelts are not fastened.

Time of day and night: As was already said, car crashes happen more often at night and on weekends. AI can use this information to suggest safer ways to journey or times to go, which lowers the risk of accidents overall.

Autonomous cars: AI is also a big part of how autonomous cars are being made. Human mistakes, which are a big cause of accidents, could be less likely to happen in these cars because they can process information and react faster than human drivers. They could help cut down on the number of people who die in car accidents, which happen less than 1% of the time but still kill a lot of people every year.

Logistics and Supply Chain: AI can improve logistics and supply chain management by studying traffic data, weather conditions, and other factors to find the best routes. This makes transportation safer and more efficient.

The fact that AI can handle a lot of data and learn from it can make a big difference in how we think about transportation and could save a lot of lives. AI has the potential to make transportation safer and more efficient if it is used and regulated in the right way. This change could make a big difference in the numbers, lowering the 35,766 deaths that happened in accidents in the U.S. in 2020.

5. Optimize and enhance farming efforts

Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the agriculture business by making it possible to farm with more precision, predict crop yields, and use resources more efficiently. AI’s ability to analyze big datasets can help us understand and improve the genetic makeup of crops. This can lead to the creation of new DNA structures and better vegetables, fruits, and other types of produce. This would lead to healthier, more resilient, and more plentiful harvests, which would increase food production generally.

AI can also help farmers by making it possible to grow plants in places that are hard to do so. Using AI-based methods, we can find the best way for plants to grow in dry or poor soil. Some of these advanced technologies could be smart irrigation systems that use little water or farming bots that are run by AI and can deliver nutrients straight to plant roots, even in soils that don’t grow well. Using AI in these ways could make a lot of land that couldn’t be used for farming before accessible.

6. Make sure there is enough food and end world hunger

AI has the ability to be a key part of solving food insecurity and ending hunger around the world. This could be done by simplifying the whole food supply chain, from growing crops to getting them to people who need them. With AI, we can better predict weather trends to optimize planting and harvesting times, deal with pests and diseases more effectively to reduce crop loss, and use machine learning to improve food distribution networks, making sure food gets to where it’s needed most.

AI can also help cut down on food waste, which is a major cause of food poverty. AI can help make sure that food gets to the right places at the right time by predicting demand and optimizing transportation. This cuts down on spoilage and waste.

7. Stop big disasters from happening by taking care of our mental health

AI can be a very important part of mental health care and help stop tragedies that can happen when mental health problems aren’t treated. Algorithms that use machine learning can look at trends in behavior and language to spot early signs of mental distress. With this ability to predict, actions can be taken sooner, which could stop a problem before it gets worse.

AI can also make it easier for people to get mental health care by powering virtual therapists and mental health apps. These AI tools can provide support and therapeutic treatments at any time and from anywhere. This means that people who may not have had access to mental health care before now do.

8. Reduce air pollution

AI can be a powerful tool in the fight against pollution in the environment. With all the scary facts about global pollution, it’s more important than ever to find effective answers. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that 91% of the world’s population takes in polluted air every day. This is mostly because fossil fuels are burned to make electricity and run cars. WHO says that in 2020, the US alone put about 68 million tons of smog into the air.

AI algorithms can be used to track and predict patterns of pollution, which helps lawmakers and scientists come up with good ways to reduce pollution. This includes keeping track of the spread of air pollution to reduce its effects, which is a very important task given that one in ten people around the world die from diseases caused by air pollution (Global Burden of Disease, 2017).

The cost of air pollution to the economy is huge. Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (2020) believe that it costs nearly $3 trillion, which is 3.3% of the world’s GDP. AI can reduce these costs by making it easier to predict what will happen, helping to put preventative steps in place, and making it possible to use resources more efficiently.

AI can also help reduce waste in industries and make better use of energy in buildings and cities, which is good for the earth. Due to climate change, the chances of wildfires and the pollution they cause are growing (IPCC reports, 2021). AI can predict and handle these risks, which can help protect communities and ecosystems.

The 2020 World Air Quality Report from IQAir shows that ten of the 15 most polluted places in the world are in India. AI can help a lot in these areas by keeping an eye on and controlling air quality, giving real-time data on pollution, and making it easier to take quick action to control pollution levels.

As we just went through the problems of a pandemic, preliminary studies have found a link between COVID-19 deaths and air pollution (Harvard University, preliminary study). AI can add another line of defense against the pandemic by modeling and predicting the spread of the virus based on data about air pollution. This shows how important AI is for lowering pollution and protecting public health.

9. Help us improve how we use electricity

Artificial intelligence can make a big difference in how we use electricity and help us handle energy in a more sustainable and efficient way. AI algorithms can look at how people use power and find ways to make it better. They can keep an eye on real-time data to predict peak times, improve load balancing, and make the whole electricity grid more reliable.

AI is also a key tool for adding green energy sources like solar and wind to the power grid. These energy sources often change and are hard to predict. AI can predict changes in the weather that might affect the production of green energy and then change the energy mix to keep the supply steady.

Smart grids, which are run by AI, can also cut down on energy use and make homes more efficient. For example, home management systems that use AI can save energy by controlling the lights, heating, and cooling based on how many people are in the house and how they act.

Deal with the problem of an aging people The world’s population is getting older quickly, which brings up many problems, especially in health care and social services. AI can help solve this problem in a lot of different ways.

AI-powered healthcare options can improve care for seniors, allowing them to live on their own for longer. AI systems can keep an eye on health data and find outliers that could be signs of health problems. They can also help with telehealth services, so older people don’t have to travel as far to their doctors’ visits.

AI can also help with mental health and how well the brain works. AI-powered cognitive training programs can help older people keep their minds sharp, and AI apps can be a friend and help with mental health.

AI can also help deal with the problems that come with an aging population and a smaller work force. Automation that is driven by AI can take over tasks that are done over and over again. This makes work more efficient and lets people focus on more difficult and rewarding tasks.

10. Deal with the challenge of migration

Migration is a complicated issue with many problems, whether it is caused by war, economic problems, or changes in the environment. AI can help us solve these problems by giving us useful insights.

AI algorithms can look at a lot of data to find movement patterns and trends. These insights can help policymakers make better choices, help humanitarian organizations focus their work, and make predictions about potential migration hotspots so that resources can be better prepared and managed.

AI can help with quick responses when people are forced to move because of wars or natural disasters. For example, AI-powered satellite picture analysis can help find damaged buildings or people who have been forced to move. This helps humanitarian groups coordinate their relief efforts.

AI can also help immigrants integrate into the cultures where they live. Migrants can learn the language of their new country with the help of AI-powered language learning tools, and they can find work with the help of AI-powered job matching platforms.

AI could help a lot with the difficulties of moving by giving useful insights and useful tools. It can help both migrants and host societies deal with the problems that come with movement and turn them into chances to grow and improve.

AI for a better future

In the end, it’s important to note that artificial intelligence (AI), is far from being a threat right now and it has a lot of promise to become a great help to people. The examples in this article are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how this amazing technology could change our society and give us a new way to deal with and prevent human disasters.

AI’s potential isn’t just limited to these instances; it can be used in a wide range of areas that are important to our survival. One of these is helping people in need and responding to emergencies. AI can help identify and handle emergencies, speed up the distribution of aid, and coordinate quick, effective responses.

Also, AI can help a lot with the decline in biodiversity, which is a disaster that threatens our ecosystem and, by extension, our own survival. AI can help stop biodiversity loss by predicting the effects of climate change, keeping an eye on endangered species, and helping to come up with protection plans.

AI’s power can also be used to solve one of the most important problems of our time, which is unequal access to good schooling. AI can help close the educational gap by personalizing learning, predicting educational results, and finding learning gaps. This way, everyone, no matter where they live or how much money they have, has the chance to learn and grow.

So, artificial intelligence has a huge amount of promise to help solve human problems and make the world more resilient, fair, and sustainable. As we continue to learn about and use this potential, we get closer and closer to a future where technology is a source of hope, a way to make progress, and even a hero for humanity.