AI-based tools built on AWS are supporting Amazon’s Climate Pledge commitment, helping the tech giant conserve water & improve energy efficiency worldwide
AI is known to enable sustainability, optimising processes, improving efficiency and facilitating the development of innovative solutions for environmental challenges.
For example, AI has the ability to revolutionise building efficiency by optimising energy consumption, predicting equipment failures and enhancing building automation, to name a few applications.
Amazon is one of many companies leveraging AI to make significant strides in reducing its environmental impact — all while improving operational efficiency.
Specifically, Amazon has been looking at workplace sustainability, leveraging AI in support of its Climate Pledge commitment.
How AWS’ AI is streamlining sustainability at Amazon facilities
Amazon operates a variety of facilities, ranging from fulfilment centres to delivery stations and Amazon Fresh warehouses to Prime Air Hubs for drone operations.
Alongside creating AI-based solutions for its clients, Amazon uses its own technology — curated on Amazon Web Services (AWS) — to optimise its own operations.
Its technology is helping Amazon buildings conserve water and improve energy efficiency globally.
“At Amazon, our culture is rooted in innovation and speed,” Amazon’s CSO Kara Hurst says.
“AI can enable both and we’re using it in ways big and small to make progress.”
Some examples Kara gives include:
- The Package Decision Engine: An AI model that ensures safe delivery of Amazon parcels in the most efficient packaging possible, the Package Decision Engine makes decisions using deep ML, NLP and computer vision.
“What does this mean for sustainability?” Kara poses. “So far, along with other packaging innovations, the Package Decision Engine has helped us avoid over two million tons of packaging material worldwide.” - FlowMS: Just one of many Amazon AI tools for buildings, FlowMS is able to detect leaks, with one instance saving nine million gallons of water annually.
Amazon focuses on solutions for buildings as the built environment — along with their construction — accounts for 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Kara says: “We’re using a suite of AI tools to help manage energy and water use in more than 100 of our buildings. Other AI tools help us monitor our HVAC systems, refrigeration units and dock doors.
“These seemingly simple solutions add up and we’re making meaningful progress in saving energy.” - Maximo: One of the “coolest-looking” examples, according to Kara, Maximo is an AI-powered robot developed by The AES Corporation that assists with building solar farms thanks to computer vision. This helps lift heavy panels, makes decisions with real-time construction intelligence and helps construction crews avoid dangerous heat. “Maximo can reduce solar construction timelines and costs by as much as 50%,” Kara shares.