As part of my ongoing CPD I am learning more about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and as someone who enjoys reading that gave me another reason to read “AI For Good: Applications in Sustainability, Humanitarian Action, and Health“.
Published by Wiley in 2024, and edited by Juan M. Lavista Ferrers (PhD, MS) and William B Weeks (MD, PhD, MBA). The book comes in at over 300 pages and has an opening foreword by Brad Smith (Vice Chair and President of Microsoft). The opening chapters (roughly 40 pages) give an overview of AI and terminology that may be used in the book.
Then the AI adventures begin. The book is written by professionals working at the Microsoft AI for Good Lab and it details some of the amazing work they have been using AI for. Sustainability, Humanitarian Action, and Health are given their own parts with chapters in each part then delving into a study/use of AI at the AI for Good Lab.
Each chapter represents a study and gives an executive summary, a reason why the study is important, the methods used in the study, findings, discussion, and what was learned. Also included is details for further reading with Digital Object Identifier (DOI) details.
The book is treasure trove for someone that is doing a degree, acting as an on ramp and guide to the studies that could be referenced or built on in academic work. It is also a great way of demonstrating how AI can and is being used outside in the real world.
Some of the studies (such as social networks of giraffes, monitoring whales from space) are out of my academic / professional interests but are good read. Others really got my attention such as “Forecasting and Explaining Degradation of Solar Panels with AI“, and “Identifying Solar Energy Locations in India” as they showed how governments (national and local) could be deploying renewable energy resources in a more strategic manner.
I also enjoyed “Broadband Connectivity“, as it aimed to reduce part of the digital divide. Our world is getting more digital every day, so it only seems right to use digital tools to help make sure everyone has opportunities to connect. The study looked to identify those that may not have connectivity, or have poor speeds, and may be missed using other data collection methods. It also details how privacy concerns were discussed and taken into account.
The study around using a Natural Language Processing (NLP) chatbot to assist people stop smoking was interesting as the study took place at a time before ChatGPT launched and introduced many improved capabilities that may have been underdeveloped, limited or missing in early chatbots. The study started in 2020 and highlights the importance of iterative builds, especially around bots that may need to provide detailed answers on specific knowledge domains.
I have found AI for Good to be a good read that has expanded my knowledge on where and why AI may be used. If you are an academic, or a professional looking for examples of how AI is being used in a positive way to improve lives then this is a book you should check out.