Exploring AI's role in net zero

Siemens Australia is collaborating with Swinburne University of Technology in a cross-country project designed to explore the responsible use of AI in achieving net zero.

The project aims to enable utility providers, regulators, local governments and businesses to incorporate ethical principles into AI governance for a smooth transition to net zero.

Led by Swinburne and funded by the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Australia–India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP), the project is titled ‘Responsible AI for Net Zero — An Australia and India Collaborative Approach towards Practice, Governance and Ethics in Energy Futures’.

“We’re at a pivotal moment of time where AI is impacting every aspect of our lives,” said Siemens Australia and New Zealand CEO Peter Halliday.

“Net zero is a tremendous target and we need to consider how we embrace AI to accelerate the changes needed across industry, infrastructure and energy sectors to meet challenging climate targets.

“Innovation through digitalisation is the key to addressing all these challenges, especially if Australia aims to reduce global emissions beyond the 1% we’re responsible for,” Halliday said.

The project focuses on three key pillars:

1. Establishing current ethical principles for AI adoption in the energy sector.
2. Identifying key ethical issues shaping the use of AI in the development of smart energy systems for achieving net zero.
3. Recommending comprehensive guidelines for translating ethical principles into AI energy governance.

Associate Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Director of the Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub, emphasised that it was paramount to ensure the responsible and ethical use of data while developing the AI-driven tools within advanced energy systems.

“This project showcases how we collaborate with other leading institutions and industries, to ensure we provide smarter and safer energy systems for our communities,” he said.

Other collaborators on the project include Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (IIT Palakkad), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Maxbyte Technologies Singapore.

“AI is key in delivering net zero by supporting sustainable and green energy systems,” said Professor Prem Prakash Jayaraman, Director of Swinburne’s Factory of the Future and Digital Innovation Lab.

“This project is particularly important as it takes a global approach, bringing together industries, government and university to tackle the challenge of using AI responsibly to deliver our net zero commitments.”

Image credit: iStock.com/PhonlamaiPhoto