The UN Climate Change Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Enterprise Neurosystem have announced Dr Letetia Addison of Trinidad and Tobago as the Grand Prize winner of the 2024 AI Innovation Grand Challenge.
Co-hosted by the TEC and the Enterprise Neurosystem under the UN Climate Change Technology Mechanism Initiative on #AI4ClimateAction, this global competition aimed to identify and support the development of #AI4ClimateAction solutions to address climate change in the most vulnerable developing countries, including small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs). Sponsors included Kove, Red Hat, and Google.
Dr Addison’s winning proposal, “AI-Driven Climate Resilience Platform for SIDS (AI4SIDS)” sought to use artificial intelligence to help SIDS adapt to the impacts of climate change.
She will be honoured at an award ceremony at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 16 November 2024.
Furthermore, Dr Addison will present the winning solution to an audience of international climate policymakers, technologists, scientists and financiers.
In addition to the award ceremony and presentation, Dr Addison will join Enterprise Neurosystem representatives to participate in other activities at COP29, including a Capacities for Climate Innovation Day on 18 November.
The competition received 114 solution proposals from 62 countries (including 19 LDCs and SIDS) across six continents.
Eight judges appointed by the TEC and the Enterprise Neurosystem conducted two rounds of evaluation to select ten finalists, from which the top five solutions were chosen:
AI4SIDS: AI-Driven Climate Resilience Platform for SIDS. Team leader: Letetia Addison, Trinidad and Tobago (Award Winning).
Chameleon AI: AI-powered platform to transform irrigation practices for smallholder farmers in Malawi. Team leader: Alinafe Kaliwo, Malawi.
Climate Smart Irrigator: Smart Water-Food-Energy Food Nexus Efficiency Irrigation. Team leader: Edmond Ng’walago, Tanzania.
EmTrack by ACBA Energy: AI application for emissions-tracking and carbon emission quantification. Team leader: Nair de Sousa, Angola.
RAICE: AI-Driven Precision Irrigation for Sustainable Rice Farming in Nepal. Team leader: Asbina Baral, Nepal.
The top five teams will share over US$5 million in technology and services to help them further develop their AI-powered climate solutions. Prizes include:
Kove: US$5 million in credits for Kove: SDM™, its Software-Defined Memory technology.
Red Hat: US$300,000 in credits for Red Hat OpenShift AI on Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA).
Google: six-month membership in the Google Startups for Sustainable Development Program, value at US$40,000
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the many entries we received from around the world,” said Thibyan Ibrahim, TEC Chair.
“I was inspired to see the wealth of examples of how AI is already being used for effective climate action in developing countries, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing States, and I look forward to meeting our winner from Trinidad and Tobago at COP 29 in Baku.”
“The AI Innovation Grand Challenge showcases AI’s transformative power to address the climate crisis. The ingenuity and vision displayed by participants inspires us to push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Bill Wright, Chair of the Enterprise Neurosystem.
“At the Enterprise Neurosystem, we are committed to empowering emerging AI innovators worldwide by providing the technical assistance and mentorship they need to develop and deploy their climate solutions. Our partnership with the TEC on this competition fosters a global community dedicated to #AI4ClimateAction.”