AI, environmental technology… and a surprising number of freebies!
I spent a day at ESS Expo, the UK’s environmental services and sustainability exhibition, at the NEC on 16th September, and one thing that particularly struck me this year was just how much more visible AI had become across the exhibition.
Not simply is AI being promoted as an add-on to a particular product or service in its own right. Instead, there was evidence across the event that AI is being incorporated into existing technologies, services and operations.
During the day I encountered a variety of examples of AI’s integration, ranging from support for sorting at MRFs and smarter waste collection to reduce the impact of fly-tipping, to autonomous monitoring and a much greater role in data analysis.
And it wasn’t just exhibitors that were highlighting the practical uses of AI. The ESS seminar programme had a number of sessions looking at everything from AI and biodiversity to the use of AI and atmospheric data in tackling aviation emissions.
More generally, the exhibition seemed noticeably broader than previous years… as all of you who attended would no doubt agree. I counted seven co-located shows, ranging from the long-standing RWM event – who remembers when it was held at Paignton? – to dedicated space for areas such as water/wastewater, energy, air quality, land remediation, decarbonisation and even auto recycling.
So, what does this mean for the future?
For me, the interesting thing is that AI increasingly seems to be moving from being a technology that you buy to being a technology that becomes part of how something works.
That potentially changes the conversation about the role of AI. Rather than simply asking whether a product or service ‘uses AI’, the more important questions from customers become:
• What does it actually enable?
• What problem does it solve?
• Does it deliver improvements – i.e. performance, cost reduction, time savings etc?
…and most importantly for vendors:
• Will it influence purchasing decisions?
Regardless of current concerns about AI, I suspect we will see much more of AI’s role in influencing how products, services and businesses operate, rather than it being viewed as a visible standalone ‘add-on’, in the coming years.
And finally, a completely unscientific observation…
The range of free gifts this year seemed better than ever. I’ve lost count of how many I came home with — including a potted Victoria sponge cake!
Chris Hadley
Lead – Environment, Energy and Clean Tech
