AI and Climate Resilience: Navigating the Tradeoff Between Innovation and Impact

The Harvard CRCS workshop on AI and Climate Resilience: Navigating the Tradeoff Between Innovation and Impact aims to bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers to discuss opportunities and challenges of AI for climate resilience. Climate resilience is the ability of communities, ecosystems, and infrastructures to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate-related shocks and stresses. In today’s world, climate resilience and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are locked in a dual challenge. On the one hand, AI can drive unprecedented innovation for climate resilience, e.g., accurate scenario simulations, adaptive equity-focused measures, and improved resource management. However, on the other hand, it is equally important to address AI’s rising energy and data demands, ensuring minimized carbon and hazardous air pollutants emissions to safeguard especially vulnerable communities. This workshop will include talks, panels, and interactive discussions to explore both sides of the equation: How can we use AI for climate resilience? And how can we be resilient to AI’s environmental impact?

Schedule
Wednesday, April 16

8:30am	Breakfast and check-in - SEC LL2 Atrium
9:15 am	Introductions -SEC LL2.221 Claudio Battiloro, Serena Wang, and Hila Bernstein
9:30am	Theme 1: Resilience to AI - SEC LL2.221 Gianluca Guidi Michael Cork Juan Perdomo
10:45am	Coffee Break - SEC LL2 Atrium
11:15am	Theme 2: AI for Resilience - SEC LL2.221 Victoria Pisini Bret Nestor Le Xie
12:30-1:30 pm	Lunch - SEC LL2 Atrium
1:30pm	Keynote: Critical Federal Data Preservation in 2025 - SEC LL2.221 Jonathan Gilmour
2:00pm	Panel: Tradeoffs in AI, Health, and Climate Resilience - SEC LL2.221 Francesca Dominici, Nicholas Nassikas, Amruta Nori-Sarma, Anna Russo, Salil Vadhan Moderated by Claudio Battiloro
3:00pm	Coffee Break - SEC LL2 Atrium
3:10pm	Discussion Tables - SEC 2nd Floor Rooms 1. Resilience to AI - LL2.112 2. AI for Resilience - LL2.330
4:00 pm	Reception - SEC West Atrium

Participants

Veronica Ballerini
Davide Bray
Michael Cork
George Dasoluas
Francesca Dominici
Charles Emogor
Jonathan Gilmour
Gianluca Guidi
Bhanu Teja Gullapalli
Daniel Jacob
Salome Kakhaia
James Kitch
James Mickens
Priyanka Nanayakkara
Nicholas Nassikas
Bret Nestor
Amruta Nori-Sarma
Juan Perdomo
Victoria Pisini
Mary Rice
Anna Russo
Federica Spoto
Salil Vadhan
Tina Vartziotis
Le Xie
Minlan Yu

Organizers

Claudio Battiloro Postdoc, HDSI	Serena Wang Postdoc, CRCS	Prof. Milind Tambe Director, CRCS
Hila Bernstein Program Manager, CRCS	Stephen Lemieux Faculty Coordinator, CRCS

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, ideas, or concerns!

Workshop logistics

Dates: April 16, 2025

Location: Harvard SEC,
Science and Engineering Complex
150 Western Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Parking is available at the SEC. Please let us know if you will need a spot.