New Delhi, August 07, 2023. International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), operating under the umbrella of UNESCO, has joined forces with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), to introduce the ground-breaking Compute for Climate Fellowship. This unparalleled global program is set to support enterprising startups and entrepreneurs utilizing cutting-edge cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to conceive innovative solutions targeting the pressing climate crisis. The Compute for Climate Fellowship will not only identify startups with transformative concepts but also provide full funding for the creation of their proofs of concept (POC). Applications are now open, with a rolling selection process in place. Submissions received by August 31, 2023, will be fast-tracked for development this year.
John Shawe Taylor, Director at IRCAI, emphasized, "Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing as both an academic and practical field. At IRCAI, our mission is not only to guide the evolution of these new technologies but also to ensure their positive impact on humanity. In collaboration with AWS, we are determined to locate some of the most ingenious startups and assist them in ethically harnessing AI and advanced computing to create groundbreaking solutions addressing the vital challenges posed by the climate crisis."
The selection process by IRCAI and AWS will prioritize forward-thinking proposals demonstrating innovative use of advanced cloud computing and promising potential for global impact across six critical climate change domains:
- Climate risk and resilience
- Food security
- Biodiversity and conservation
- Climate-related health
- Circular economy
- Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) analytics
Startups in the global climate tech sphere selected for this fellowship will enjoy access to an array of technical resources to develop their POCs. Both IRCAI and AWS will furnish chosen startups with expert teams specialized in AI, sustainability, and ethics, along with access to advanced computing services such as high-performance computing (HPC), AI, generative AI, and machine learning (ML) technologies. Additionally, AWS will extend credits to participants to cover the POC development costs. Notably, all POCs will adhere to the ethical guidelines stipulated by UNESCO's Ethics Impact Assessment for Artificial Intelligence, ensuring the use of safe and trustworthy technology.
The Compute for Climate Fellowship comes in response to the complex and far-reaching challenges brought about by climate change. Recent record-high global temperatures underscore the urgency of the situation, with wildfires, floods, droughts, and rising sea levels jeopardizing food security, health, and biodiversity worldwide. With thousands of tech startups developing innovative approaches to mitigate and reverse these impacts, the Fellowship is poised to expedite research and development with robust technical guidance and access to AWS's advanced computing services.
"Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our generation and our message to the innovators out there with this program is: bring us your boldest, most visionary ideas and we'll help you build them for free," said Howard Wright, VP and Global Head of Startups at AWS. "By offering computing capabilities and access to new technologies, such as generative AI, to startups tackling climate-related challenges, the Compute for Climate Fellowship will continue our mission of driving sustainability through the cloud and hopefully help us change the course of the climate crisis."
Advanced computing and AI have already demonstrated significant potential in combatting climate change. IRCAI is actively mapping AI solutions across the globe contributing to the UN Global Sustainability Goals, while AWS supports customers in creating early-warning systems for food insecurity, health equity analytics in the context of climate change, and circular economy intelligence. Furthermore, AWS employs HPC for modeling and simulation to identify and mitigate climate-related fires, floods, and heat waves. The emergence of generative AI has also sparked novel solutions, with AWS exploring how Large Language Models can aid biodiversity restoration, support mental health interventions, and foster automotive innovation aligned with net-zero goals and circularity. By supporting startups in these domains, the Fellowship seeks to advance ethical AI research while delivering sustainable solutions to AWS customers.
Applications for the Compute for Climate Fellowship are now open. Submissions received before August 31, 2023, have the opportunity for development this year and potential presentation at AWS' re:Invent conference in November 2023. Applications submitted after September 1, 2023, will be considered for development in 2024.
Startups not selected for participation can still benefit from up to $5,000 in AWS credits through the AWS Activate program. They will also have access to complimentary workshops and training on effectively utilizing AWS Advanced Compute services to realize their innovative solutions.
For more details on fellowship applications and eligibility, visit: https://ircai.org/compute-for-climate-fellowship.
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