This article is part 1/2 of the Omdena series of articles ‘The Trash We Make’, which summarizes the work carried out in the Omdena Challenge in partnership with Trash Out.

The Omdena TrashOut challenge identified three tasks that aim to map illegal dumps and help citizens recycle more. The first, build AI models that identify patterns causing illegal dumpsites, predict potential dumpsites, and avoid such dumpsites. The second part of the challenge was developing a Classifier to predict which recycling category a trash item belongs to. The third answers the question, how to encourage TrashOut app users to provide accurate and current information on new, continuing, or cleared illegal dumpsites.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is getting better and better at making our lives more efficient and convenient in many ways. It has even been called the “The new electricity” of our generation by Andrew Ng. Thanks to AI, new business models have emerged with which our economies have expanded and wealth has grown. On one hand, we are reinventing healthcare with better diagnosis and increasing food production via automation, monitoring pests, and crops. On the other hand, humanity is affecting the climate and, consequently, experiencing more natural disasters, witnessing the spread of diseases not seen before, and dealing with unprecedented biodiversity shortage. Our population is still struggling with a lack of food, proper shelter, and clean and sufficient water for their daily needs. We can and should do more with technology such as AI in areas that truly count for the sustainable development of society.

#machine-learning #tech-for-good #ai #sdgs #environment