With nearly £4 million in government funding for green innovations, new artificial intelligence (AI) solutions will accelerate the decarbonisation of the nation’s industries.

Thanks to a multimillion-pound government investment announced, artificial intelligence will transform how industries reduce carbon emissions. 

Twelve green AI initiatives will receive a portion of £1 million to decarbonise and increase renewable energy production, contributing to the country’s ambitious aim of reaching net zero by 2050.

The schemes range from solar energy enhancements, which use AI to improve the prediction of when it will produce the most energy for the grid, to the decarbonisation of dairy farming via the use of AI devices monitoring crop and soil health.

Even artificial intelligence could reduce its carbon footprint, as one project is developing hardware that mimics the human brain to reduce a computer’s power consumption when conducting AI tasks.

In addition, the government will provide an additional £2.25 million to support additional AI innovations aimed at reducing emissions in the energy sector.

This part of the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio solidifies the UK’s leading position in artificial intelligence and decarbonisation.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency, stated: “When it comes to advanced AI and our record of decarbonisation, we are unquestionably world leaders.” “This position requires us to push the limits of how this technology can improve our swiftly expanding clean energy sector.”

“Projects such as those announced today will propel us to the next phase of our ambitious journey towards net-zero emissions while bolstering our energy security and creating a new wave of skilled employment for the future.”

Viscount Camrose, Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, stated: “AI is driving transformational change in the UK’. These winning initiatives illustrate how we utilise our world-class research base and indigenous expertise to address one of our time’s most pressing global issues.”

“We are utilising the immense potential of AI technologies to improve people’s lives, whether by funding initiatives to help us reduce emissions or by funding research to transform healthcare for patients.”

The government’s Digital Catapult agency, part of Innovate UK and helps businesses advance their ideas, has received up to £500,000 today to establish the UK’s first Centre for Excellence on AI Innovation for Decarbonisation.

This will provide a virtual centre that will bring together businesses, academics, and specialists to advance research into AI solutions that will assist industries in reducing emissions.

Dr Jeremy Silver, the chief executive officer of Digital Catapult, commented: “The advice programme will advance artificial intelligence’s integral role in addressing critical decarbonisation challenges. The programme participants are situated at the centre of the UK’s dynamic AI ecosystem and are ideally positioned to forge collaborations between the technology community and some of our most carbon-intensive industries.”

“Utilising AI and data intelligently will be essential to meeting the UK’s net zero commitment. Advice will support algorithm developers and investors in AI solutions in the most effective manner feasible.”

The following AI initiatives will receive a total of £1 million to develop novel decarbonisation strategies:

  • London-based Secqai Ltd. will receive £100,000 to support the development of ultra-low-power AI technology that mimics the neural architecture of the human brain. This new system will utilise a small fraction of the energy required by conventional AI hardware, thereby reducing its carbon footprint.
  • £121,500 for Open Climate Fix Ltd. of London to develop artificial intelligence to facilitate the connection of photovoltaic energy to the energy grid. To reduce network congestion and maximise the amount of renewable energy transmitted, the technology will use satellite and meteorological data to forecast the amount of solar energy transferred to the grid.
  • Additionally, £133,932 will be allocated to a solar energy project operated by the University of Nottingham. Using sky images and weather data, AI will improve the forecasting of solar energy production in this endeavour.
  • £132,147 will assist list.io Ltd. in developing new agriculture robotics to provide an automated soil and crop health monitoring system to aid decarbonisation in crop management and dairy farms.

The government announced an additional £2.25 million for its AI for Decarbonisation Programme, bringing the total funding to £3.75 million. 

The application deadline for energy companies, software developers, and innovators is 10 October 2023.