Microsoft Corp. announced today that it will invest an additional $50 million into its AI for Earth program, which provides artificial intelligence and cloud services to organizations working to fight climate change with AI.

The funding, which will be spread out over the next five years, is a major step up from the $2 million Microsoft invested in AI for Earth when it launched the program in July.

Microsoft President Brad Smith made the announcement today at a climate event in Paris, where a number of government and business leaders met to discuss efforts to measure and prevent climate change. Smith said that “while the experts’ warnings are dire,” Microsoft believes that AI can be “a game changer” in the fight against climate change.

“Fundamentally, AI can accelerate our ability to observe environmental systems and how they are changing at a global scale, convert the data into useful information and apply that information to take concrete steps to better manage our natural resources,” said Smith.

Smith highlighted several organizations that use Microsoft’s AI tools in their efforts to safeguard the environment. For example, Norwegian power company Agder Energi uses Microsoft’s cloud and AI to predict and prepare for changing energy needs across its electrical grid. This has improved the efficiency of Agder Energi’s existing infrastructure, reducing the need for costly new projects that would place further strain on the environment.

Smith also mentioned Australian agriculture tech company The Yield, which uses sensors to track weather conditions in areas as small as a single field. The Yield’s platform combines this data with AI and predictive models to tell farmers when each individual crop should be planted, watered and harvested. Not only does this reduce water consumption, but it also produces higher crop yields with fewer resources.

“It’s these kind of results that motivated us to step up our ambition when it comes to AI for Earth,” said Smith. He added that Microsoft believes that AI for Earth can be “a force multiplier for groups and individuals like these who are creating sustainable solutions.”

In addition to the new investment in AI for Earth, Microsoft will also expand seed grants for researchers testing environmentalist AI projects, and the company will help scale the projects that show the most promise. According to Smith, Microsoft may eventually integrate these advancements into its own platforms.

Photo: “The Blue Marble” by NASA/Apollo 17 crew; Public Domain