International Collaboration: Mainstreaming Artificial Intelligence and Cyberphysical Systems for Carbon Neutrality

Cyberphysical systems together with Artificial Intelligence play vital roles in reducing, eliminating, and removing greenhouse gas emissions across sectors. Electrification with renewables introduces complexity in systems in the deployment, integration, and efficient orchestration of electrified economic systems. AI-driven cyberphysical systems are uniquely suited to tackle this complexity, potentially accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon economy. The objective of this policy brief is to advocate for the mainstreaming of AI-driven cyberphysical systems for climate change risk mitigation and adaptation. To effectively and more rapidly realize the Intelligent Decarbonation potential, the concept of AI-driven cyberphysical systems must be elevated to a global level of collaboration and coordination, fostering research and development, capacity building, as well as knowledge and technology transfer. Drawing on a multidisciplinary, international study about intelligent decarbonization use cases, this brief also highlights factors impeding the transition to carbon neutrality and risks associated with technology determinism. The importance of governance is emphasized to avoid unwanted path dependency and avert a technology-solutionist approach dominating climate policy that delivers limited results. Given only 12% of the Sustainable Development Goals have been realized, a condensed version of this policy brief was submitted to the India T20, a G20 engagement group, urging global collaboration to prioritize AI-driven CPSs.