News & features
In the news | GeekWire
UW researchers develop promising ‘bioplastic’ that can decompose like a banana peel
Plastic trash is everywhere in the environment. Bottles made from fossil fuels litter the side of the road, screw caps pepper the beaches, bags waft down the street. So the notion of a plastic made from algae that biodegrades in nature…
In the news | WSJ Tech News Briefing podcast
Could Underwater Data Centers Make Cloud Computing Greener?
Cloud storage centers suck up a lot of energy. But when Microsoft tried putting data centers underwater a couple of years ago, it found the strategy greatly reduced energy use and improved performance. Now a U.S. startup called Subsea Cloud…
In the news | Microsoft News Center
Microsoft and Tomorrow.io announce climate adaptation and early warning technology solution in Africa
Microsoft, in partnership with Tomorrow.io, the world leader in Weather and Climate Security, today announced a partnership to support governments, businesses, and farmers in Africa to adapt to the growing impact of climate change. The collaboration will bring together the Microsoft…
In the news | DeepLearning.AI
Smarts for Farms
The next green revolution may be happening in the server room. What’s new: Microsoft open-sourced AI tools designed to help farmers cut costs and improve yields. How it works: FarmVibes-AI includes systems that analyze overhead imagery and sensor data to…
In the news | Popular Science
Microsoft is hoping its algorithms can help farmers—and the planet
Can the people of the world be fed without ruining the planet in the process? Among the many scientists, organizations, companies, and farmers working on this problem is Microsoft. Yesterday, the tech giant open-sourced what they call the toolkit for…
In the news | Geekwire
Microsoft open-sources farm technologies, planting seeds for data-driven sustainable agriculture
Microsoft Research is releasing the underlying code for a series of agricultural technologies under open-source licenses, encouraging soil specialists, plant scientists and other experts to build tech solutions for sustainable farms. The move comes as U.S. farmers grapple with low…
In the news | NewsPicks
[Interview] Taking a Peek at Microsoft’s “Green Research Initiative”
(Linked article in Japanese) Microsoft has launched a research initiative to look at ways of leveraging AI to tackle climate change. Tech giant Microsoft is already well-known as a leading light in the fight against climate change. Its initiatives in…
In the news | Nature
Make greenhouse-gas accounting reliable — build interoperable systems
Global integrated reporting is essential if the planet is to achieve net-zero emissions. In March, the United Nations took its first meaningful step to hold investors, businesses, cities and regions accountable for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, when UN secretary-general António Guterres…
In the news | IT Pro
Using AI and machine learning to kickstart climate change fightback
Fighting climate change with carbon capture or geoengineering means harnessing the power of AI and sophisticated data modelling. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning may increase the chances of reducing carbon emissions through carbon capture or geo engineering…