Green engineering: AI pioneers cutting a trail

Green engineering, an approach to product development that balances environmental compatibility with economic profitability, is fast becoming a necessary business practice. Leading automakers, computer manufacturers, and others are recognizing the economic and legislative pressures that necessitate going green. From design to disposal, green engineering is finding ways to extend a product's life cycle through reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling. Innovative consortia, such as the Green Design Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, are pioneering green methodologies, tools, and techniques that in some cases include artificial intelligence. As a stronger foundation of green manufacturing knowledge is built, AI's green role is likely to increase.