EXECUTIVE INSIGHT
Q . WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ?
» TThere are no shortage of sustainability challenges these days . Last year was the world ’ s hottest on record , with extreme weather disasters in the US alone amounting to more than US $ 150bn . Those disasters are upending people ’ s lives and impacting businesses large and small – disrupting supply chains , insurance markets , energy costs and more .
Yet these same challenges reflect an opportunity , as business , government and society are understanding more than before that our ways of operating face a huge , collective risk that must be addressed .
We are focusing on this opportunity in several ways at IBM , tapping our expertise with technology and AI to supercharge how organisations can leverage their data .
Our purpose-built AI models like Granite are helping leaders understand and respond to environmental changes . This can help agricultural companies predict crop yields amidst increasingly unpredictable weather , or insurers get a better handle on potential fire or flood risks .
For example , the Government of Kenya is using IBM ’ s geospatial foundation model to help the country fight deforestation and plant 15 billion trees – a critical effort in a country where forested areas retain water and support over a third of the national GDP .
IBM technology is also helping push forward predictive maintenance and sophisticated “ asset life management ”. Combining existing company data with data from weather , sensors and newer sources like low-cost drones can unlock insights that extend the life of infrastructure and reduce carbon and costs .
This is exactly what IBM helped do with Denmark ’ s Great Belt bridge and tunnel project , which has extended its lifespan by 100 years thereby and avoids 750,000 tons of CO2 .
On the other side , as a leader in AI for business , IBM recognises the critical importance of developing and using these technologies in a sustainable and ethical way . We are proactively leading the way in developing more sustainable AI models to enhance efficiencies and cost optimisation for ourselves and our partners .
88 February 2025