AI Collaboratives Launch to Combat Wildfires, Food Insecurity

Over the past five years, Google.org has poured over $200 million into AI initiatives aimed at tackling major global issues like hunger and public health. Building on this momentum, last September, we rolled out AI Collaboratives, a fresh funding model that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sectors along with researchers to develop AI solutions that can help people worldwide.

Today, we're excited to dive deeper into the first two focus areas for AI Collaboratives: Wildfires and Food Security. Our experience with funding AI solutions, coupled with extensive research and collaboration with Google Research, has pinpointed these as areas where AI can truly make a difference. Let's catch up on what's been happening.

AI Collaborative: Wildfires

Wildfires are a worldwide emergency, causing over 300,000 deaths each year from smoke exposure and racking up billions in economic losses. The AI Collaborative: Wildfires, launched by Google.org, is all about uniting top nonprofits, academic bodies, government agencies, and companies to help manage these fires better with AI. So far, Google.org has committed more than $27 million to this cause.

We've brought together over 15 organizations, like the Earth Fire Alliance and Moore Foundation, to tackle this challenge. By pooling resources and blending cutting-edge science, new tech, and practical applications, we're equipping our partners with the tools they need to spot and monitor wildfires almost in real time, assess wildfire risks, promote beneficial fires across more land, and ultimately lessen the devastation caused by catastrophic wildfires.

AI Collaborative: Food Security

With nearly a third of the world's population grappling with moderate to severe food insecurity due to extreme weather, conflict, and economic downturns, the AI Collaborative: Food Security aims to bolster the resilience of global food systems and enhance food security for the most vulnerable communities through AI tech, joint research, data sharing, and coordinated efforts. We've already got 10 organizations on board, and we'll be sharing more details soon.

The Power of Collaboration

The heart of AI Collaboratives is the belief that AI's true potential shines not just through the tech itself, but through the partnerships that enable its responsible use. By tackling urgent issues like wildfires and food insecurity, we're laying the groundwork for AI to make lasting, positive impacts on society for years to come.