AI for Social Good: AI and Big Data Approaches for Environmental Decision-Making

Abstract

AI and big data technologies have been increasingly deployed to process complex, heterogeneous, high-resolution environmental data, and generate results at greater speeds and higher accuracies to facilitate environmental decision-making. However, current attempts to develop reliable AI and big data technologies for environmental decision-making are still inadequate. In this special issue, AI for Social Good: AI and Big Data Approaches for Environmental Decision-Making, we attempt to address the following important questions: What are the conditions for AI and big data technologies to facilitate environmental decision-making? How can AI and big data be used to facilitate environmental decision-making? Do AI and big data serve those most at risk of environmental pollution? Who should own and govern AI and big data? This special issue brings together researchers in relevant fields of AI and environmental science to address these pertinent questions. First, we will review the existing works which attempt to address these four questions. Second, we summarize the significance and novelty of six articles included in our special issue in addressing these four questions. Finally, we highlight the important principles of AI for Social Good, which can help distinguish good from bad environmental decisions based on AI and big data technologies.