Warming and polluted air: sense, think, act
Smart systems follow the same pattern for every environmental problem: sensors measure, AI analyses and suggests, a machine or a person acts. Take global warming. Its cause is more carbon dioxide and other harmful gases from cars and factories. Sensors measure the temperature and the gases in different places. The AI looks for the places and hours with the most gases and suggests ideas, such as switching on cleaning filters at a factory. Then a machine carries out the action. Air pollution is similar: its causes are exhaust from cars, factories and the burning of rubbish. Sensors in a street measure the harmful gases, the AI marks the worst streets and may suggest fewer cars at busy hours, and a notice warns people. Some of these systems are already used and some are still being tried, so we call many of them ideas that need testing.
| Problem | Cause | Sensors measure | AI suggests | Machine acts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global warming | more carbon dioxide from cars and factories | temperature and gases | where and when gases peak | filters switch on |
| Air pollution | exhaust, factories, burning rubbish | harmful gases in the air | the most polluted streets | a warning notice is sent |
Copy the table on paper. Add a third row for “car exhaust in a city centre” and fill each box in your own words. Then circle the box that is the AI’s job.