ELLIS unit Jena at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit 2024
At the AI for Good Global Summit 2024, held in Geneva on May 30th and 31st, ELLIS Unit Jena played a multifaceted role, showcasing its commitment to advancing AI for environmental sustainability.
#1 Workshop - Forecasting the Future: AI in Early Warning Systems
On May 31st, the ELLIS Unit Jena directors Joachim Denzler (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) and Markus Reichstein (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry) hosted the workshop “Forecasting the Future: AI in Early Warning Systems.” This workshop featured speakers including Giulia Martini (United Nations World Food Program), Shruti Nath (University of Oxford), Kai Kornhuber (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis), and Vitus Benson (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, ETH Zurich). Topics covered ranged from geospatial vegetation forecasting to optimizing humanitarian aid supply chains and understanding extreme heatwave risks. Building on the success of last year’s AI for Global Summit ML workshop, this event continued the dialogue on AI’s pivotal role in addressing climate change and its impacts.
#2 Climate research on the main stage
Additionally, Markus Reichstein took the Centre Stage on Friday, May 31st, alongside Sage Lenier (Climate Activist) Claire Monteleoni (University of Colorado Boulder) and Bjorn Stevens (Max Planck Institute for Metrology). Together, they addressed the critical imperative of leveraging AI for environmental protection. Sage Lenier underscored the importance of education in cultivating climate-conscious generations, while Markus Reichstein highlighted AI’s capacity to analyze Earth data for biosphere conservation. Claire Monteleoni emphasized the necessity of collaboration for effective climate action, and Bjorn Stevens introduced the concept of earth virtualization engines exposing new frontiers in climate science through AI. Collectively, they highlighted AI’s potential in tackling pressing environmental challenges and fostering a sustainable future. The session was moderated by Philip Stier (University of Oxford).
#3 ELLIS Booth
Furthermore, the ELLIS Unit Jena, in collaboration with the ELLIS Society, hosted a booth featuring visually engaging infographics, roll-ups, and posters. These materials provided insights into the ELLIS network and showcased the groundbreaking research conducted by the ELLIS Unit Jena. Through interactive displays and informative presentations, attendees gained a deeper understanding of the innovative contributions of ELLIS in the field of AI and its applications for environmental sustainability.
Dr. Conrad H. PHILIPP
European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS)
ELLIS Unit Jena | Project Coordinator