Research and knowledge transfer
Research
Climate change is profoundly affecting almost every aspect of our lives. Human activity is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, and this includes data centers and other sources of large-scale computing. While the development of Artificial Intelligence models is contributing to major scientific milestones, their environmental impact is often underestimated.
The multidisciplinary research perspective proposed by the Chair allows us to approach problems from different angles, encouraging dialogue and cooperation between the different actors involved in the creation of green algorithms. We believe that only from this perspective can comprehensive and sustainable solutions be offered that respond to the needs and expectations of society.
It is imperative that AI finds ways to make our planet more sustainable. And this objective of the Chair is aligned with one of the main objectives of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, within its Action 20: to provide a reference framework for the development of an inclusive, sustainable and citizen-centred AI.
The contribution of the discipline must be twofold: on the one hand, it must enable the development of applications in different areas and sectors that contribute to sustainability and combat climate change, and on the other hand, AI needs to find ways towards more scalable and sustainable algorithms that allow reducing the CO2 footprint of current ones.
The general objectives of the research lines of this chair are the development of models based on Artificial Intelligence techniques in environmental applications in a broad sense, encompassing on the one hand the perspectives of AI in economic, energy and social issues. On the other hand, the development of sustainable AI models is contemplated, both from the point of view of data engineering and from the point of view of the energy consumption of AI algorithms.
Lines and sub-lines of research
Line 1 - Development of energy-efficient algorithms
Low-resolution algorithms, optimisation of models with HPC (High Performance Computing) techniques, edge computing and federated learning, quantum computing, energy-efficient compact data structures and optimisation of natural language processing.
Line 2 - Artificial intelligence for energy efficiency and sustainable development
Quantum computing for sustainable development, algorithms for energy efficiency in buildings and urban mobility, and AI for modelling social behaviour in relation to energy efficiency and sustainability.
Line 3 - Sustainable robotics
Strategies related to the Green Production Chain, Green Computing and interaction with the environment.
Line 4 - Study of the ethical, social and economic implications of green algorithms.
Knowledge Transfer
The strategy of transfer and exploitation of results of the Chair seeks to ensure that the results of the research carried out in the Chair are transferred to society and become products, services or concrete solutions that can have a positive impact on society and the economy.
Similarly, the Chair’s transfer action will promote the establishment of relations with agents in the public, private and citizen ecosystem linked to AI and environmental sustainability.
The aim of this action is to generate opportunities for collaboration that involve dissemination and diffusion of the knowledge generated in research, enabling it to reach society, simultaneously promoting the detection of specific needs and areas of interest.
The Chair offers a catalogue of services linked to the aspects of sustainability linked to the deployment of Artificial Intelligence, which constitute its scope of action. It aims to act as an agent for the development and materialisation of projects and participation in consortia for the submission of proposals to public and private funding calls.
The Chair will promote internships in companies in areas related to its lines of action, as well as industrial doctorates and the presentation of challenges by companies in the productive sector whose solution can be carried out from the field of Green AI.
The Chair will carry out actions to promote entrepreneurship in the field of green Artificial Intelligence, pursuing the materialisation of collaborations with the ecosystem and infrastructures linked to the development of technology-based companies.