Mark Minevich sits down with Green.org. Who is Mark Minevich?
Mark Minevich is a highly regarded and trusted Digital Cognitive AI Strategist, Artificial Intelligence expert, Global Social Innovation and Technology Executive, UN Advisor, Leading Author and Columnist, Private Investor/Venture Capitalist, and the principal founder and President of Going Global Ventures. Mark breaks down how AI will have an effect on climate change in the future.
He is an award-winning technology executive and has published two books and over 40 articles on AI, Industry 4.0, IoT. Mark is Chairman of the Executive committee of AI for Good Foundation. Mark is also a Co-Chair of AI for the Planet Alliance. Mark is Sr. Advisor to Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group. Currently, he serves as the strategic advisor and Global ambassador to the CEO and Chairman of New York based Amelia/ IPsoft Inc. Mark collaborates and advises large global enterprises both in the US and Japan (Hitachi). Mark is Advisory Partner to Canadian Growth Investments and Business Advisor to Infosec Global.
Mark, thanks for being here. What is a fun fact about you?
I used to tell my executives, investors, and business partners, “This is how it is — period.” Some people would laugh at it. What do you mean? How it is. Later on, I learned that we live in a complex world. We need to deliver things in a way that doesn’t cause unnecessary stress but helps to set confidence and expectations. You’ve got to look at how others view the world and laugh a little bit. You’ve got to provide a very healthy balance.
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
Pandemics, Drought, famine, flooding, severe weather, food shortages, earthquakes and other man-made and natural disasters create disruptions around the world. As typically happens when disaster strikes, economically challenged populations such as in Africa and Global South suffer the most. Around the globe, many countries are grappling with the impact of these seismic shocks, from demographic dislocations and the changing nature of work and their economies to accumulating climate and environmental impacts. It is not about efficiency or optimization.
Climate change is the planet’s greatest challenge and there’s no end in sight The UN has already stated we need to make real change now in the fight against rising global temperatures. If we don’t act decisively now, the economic damage caused by climate change in the next two decades will likely be as bad as a COVID-sized pandemic every ten years AI will be a major enabler at the core of climate change technologies . We need Climate AI Pioneers that could provide the right solutions we need in the fight for survival and growth.
Around the world, innovators are working to fight climate change with unique AI use cases that can help to prevent wildfires, mitigate environmental risks posed in vulnerable hotspots, drone surveillance monitoring, and predictive technologies in a concerted effort to make our Earth more livable and resilient for decades to come . There are multiple benefits that come with artificial intelligence in addressing this challenge. AI is capable of impact decoupling, such as decreasing environmental harm including CO2 emissions, leveraging massive amounts of data, learning algorithms as well as sensing devices.
Emissions can be halted in the energy sector by using AI technology to forecast the supply and demand of power for the national grid, improve the scheduling of renewables, and reduce life-cycle fossil fuel emissions through predictive maintenance I am personally very passionate about using AI for good and I believe that it has the potential to make a positive impact on social innovation and climate change.
I am currently involved in a number of initiatives that are aimed at using AI to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Artificial intelligence has a tremendous number of use cases in climate change, including environmental monitoring, carbon trading, and renewable energy. For example, smart grids that use AI can help to optimize energy usage and reduce wastage, while also increasing the integration of renewable energy sources. Additionally, AI can be used to develop new materials and processes that are more environmentally friendly.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
We are in the midst of one of the major global transformations and AI is playing a major role in helping organizations to survive and thrive during these challenging times. AI is being used to automate tasks, improve decision-making, and drive efficiencies across the board. We are also seeing a move towards using AI for predictive maintenance and forecasting, as well as for managing supply chains and logistics.
In the future, AI will become increasingly ubiquitous and integrated into all aspects of the business. For example, we will see AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants becoming the norm, and businesses will need to adopt AI in order to remain competitive. Personalization of the customer experience will also become more important, and AI will play a key role in enabling this. Imagine that you haven’t yet left the bed of your New York smart home residence yet, and your implanted biochip sensor has already alerted your kitchen appliances to start cooking a breakfast tailored to your specific nutritional needs. While your AI-chefware begins to whip up a personalized breakfast of champions, your private cognitive assistant recites your schedule for the day.
After you get dressed, your clothing-augmented virtual reality display informs you that your autonomous car is here to drive you to the airport. You enjoy your morning meal and then hit the road, where hyperloops and smart cars maneuver the asphalt with absolute mathematical precision––no traffic jams, only routine maintenance. Onboard your two-hour SpaceX flight to Tokyo, you engage in a holographic face-to-face conference call with one of your key partners in Silicon Valley, as well as your R&D team. Thanks to a quick flight enabled by new-age tech, you don’t feel jet lagged in the slightest, enabling you to get to work immediately upon arrival.
Once you get to a local data work-hub in Tokyo (global centers where people leverage the power of quantum computing to conduct analytics), you review and comb through your company’s data, scanning predictive patterns via integrated cloud-based systems that are embedded into manufacturing centers, marketing analytics and worldwide sales and financial metrics. The reason that you are able to get all of that work done within a few hours is thanks to a sophisticated predictive AI engine, which parses through your data and collects swaths of new information in real-time.
The entirety of your company’s financial, marketing and sales statistics are all neatly summarized into a dashboard, while reports are simultaneously generated for your management team. The workplace environment of tomorrow will look nothing like that of today. Due to rapid advances in technology and AI-augmentation of virtually all processes imaginable, our world is bound to go fully digital. In this new, highly dynamic ecosystem, humans will require new skills, abilities and mindsets in order to fulfill jobs that we cannot even begin to forecast. According to predictions by Dell Technologies and the Institute for the Future, 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 have not even been created yet. That means that today’s businessmen and women, everyday employees and even big-enterprise CEOs don’t have the slightest whim about what the future workplace may resemble. Moreover, the new integration of artificial intelligence in everyday work processes will lead to the creation of over 130 million novel roles.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
Become a climate entrepreneur. One thing we do know that entrepreneurs do better and at a higher frequency than anyone on Earth is to disrupt and create. Whether their mission might be software and algorithmic creation, the streamlining of processes or the search for an easier and more convenient way to get from point A to point B in a crowded city, entrepreneurs lead the way.
These industries need a shakeup and entrepreneurs are the people to do it. innovative entrepreneurs create new systems to combat and conquer food issues. Look for climate solutions we need in the fight for survival and growth. Around the world, innovators are working to fight climate change. Whatever you can help with – prevent wildfires, mitigate environmental risks posed in vulnerable hotspots, drone surveillance monitoring, and predictive technologies in a concerted effort to make our Earth more livable and resilient for decades to come .
1. Think in a very future-oriented manner. Try to combine many elements that alone could not produce solutions, but together could solve major problems. Use the ability to combine certain steps and elements works well and makes me very unique. You cannot rely on traditional steps; you have to think outside the box to create solutions for customers and businesses.
2. listen more. Learn, listen, learn, and repeat. Listen to a variety of people who have done it before, who are proven entrepreneurs, and who have built and run successful businesses. It’s also important to do things in small steps and measure those successes, then execute accordingly
3. Never do a hard sale, but focus on thought leadership. Show that you know the principles, background, context, market, and business. Show that you can explain and discuss your thoughts and ideas. You should be able to connect and relate them to prospective businesses, clients, partners, etc.
4. One of the most important things I’ve learned is the power of networking. Building a strong network of supportive people is essential for any entrepreneur. These people can provide advice, mentorship, resources, and opportunities. They can also be a sounding board for new ideas and help you navigate through difficult times. If you take anything away from my journey, let it be the importance of networking. It really is the key to success.
