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Given the alarming impact of microplastic pollution in nature, it is important to understand how this toxic waste alters the environment. However, there is a paucity of research on how microplastic litter in soil impacts the quality of soil. To this end, researchers led by Prof. Yong Sik Ok, applied machine learning models to find that microplastic characteristics, such as its type, size, shape, and dosage can significantly change soil properties, including pH, organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and acid phosphatase enzyme activity.

Credit: Hillary Daniels from Flickr Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/51763198@N00/12140848366

Plastic waste and its buildup in nature has become a major environmental concern in recent times. While plastic pollution in the oceans is undoubtedly a concern, the presence of plastics in soils around the world is also known to cause severe environmental and health issues. As plastics fragment into smaller pieces known as microplastics (MPs) in the soil through natural and anthropogenic processes, they drastically alter soil properties. Moreover, they are also absorbed by plants, potentially entering human food chain and causing health complications.

Grasping the impact of MPs on soil properties bears significant relevance for corporate sustainability, notably within the Environmental aspect of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. Global corporations are often confronted with mounting expectations to embrace eco-friendly strategies, with a particular emphasis on handling plastic-related concerns being the core of these initiatives. However, the underlying mechanisms governing the environmental impact of soil MPs still remain unknown. Soil-MP interactions are complex due to soil heterogeneity and MP diversity, challenging prediction and mitigation of their effects on soil properties.

To address this paucity in research on soil MPs, a team of scientists, led by Prof. Yong Sik Ok, used machine learning (ML) algorithms to assess and predict the influence of MPs on soil properties. Prof. Ok is a KU HCR Professor, President of the International ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Association (IESGA), and the Chair and Program Director of the Sustainable Waste Management Program for the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU SWM Program). ML is a dynamic and transformative field of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses algorithms and models to learn and make predictions from vast datasets with great accuracy. Using ML to comprehensively understand the role of MPs in soil systems is time- and resource-efficient and provides a foundation for future research on this subject, explains Prof. Ok, the corresponding author of this study. The results of their study were made available online on 5 November 2023 in Environmental Pollution, following Prof. Oks two critical reviews published under the collection 'Plastics in the Environment' in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, a journal by Nature.

The ML algorithms were programmed to predict the influence of MPs on soil properties and found that different MP factors, such as type, size, shape, and dosage, significantly altered soil properties. Specifically, MP size was identified as a major factor that affects soil properties. Besides this, the shape, type, and dosage of MP was also found to distinctly influence the soils chemical properties. This pioneering study contributes essential data to support informed decision-making on plastic waste management, aligning with the global focus on sustainability and ESG principles. It underscores the importance of innovative research in guiding corporate sustainability efforts, where plastic-related issues are a growing concern. The application of ML techniques to this problem demonstrates the potential for advanced technology to drive sustainable practices and create a greener, more eco-conscious future, says Prof. Ok.

These quantitative insights into the influence of MPs on soil characteristics represents a breakthrough in comprehending and mitigating the plastic waste dilemma. The study's utilization of ML algorithms marks a groundbreaking shift from traditionally complex and resource-intensive methods for predicting and interpreting the impact of MPs on soil properties. Our ML-based approach for this study underscores the potential of advanced technology to address the challenge of MP pollution in our environment. Such data-driven research could guide informed decision-making on plastic waste management, while aligning with global sustainability goals and the principles of ESG, social responsibility, and community engagement. Furthermore, this could revolutionize corporate sustainability efforts and pave the way for more green jobs and sustainable development to create a greener and eco-conscious world for current and future generations, says Prof. Ok.

Integrating ML insights to study the impact of MPs in the context of ESG aligns with social responsibility, fostering sustainable practices with positive community effects. Corporations tackling MP pollution can not only reduce their environmental footprint but also build community trust by applying ML solutions. These efforts could, in turn, influence industry standards, potentially creating jobs and driving economic growth in related fields. We have consistently addressed global threats posed by plastic pollution and the importance of soil ecosystems, exemplified by our contributions of three articles to Nature Journals' groundbreaking special issues on Soils in Food Systems and Plastics in the Environment," concludes Prof. Ok.

***

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122833

Authors: Piumi Amasha Withana1,2, Jie Li3, Sachini Senadheera1,2, Chuanfang Fan1,4, Yin Wang3, Yong Sik Ok1,2,5

Affiliations:

1Korea Biochar Research Center, Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Sustainable Waste Management Program & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University

2International ESG Association (IESGA)

3CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences

4College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

5Institute of Green Manufacturing Technology, College of Engineering, Korea University

About APRU Sustainable Waste Management Program As a network of leading universities linking the Americas, Asia, and Australasia, APRU (the Association of Pacific Rim Universities) brings together thought leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate toward practical solutions to combat the challenges of the 21st century. The APRU Sustainable Waste Management Program focuses on adopting environmentally friendly practices to manage waste effectively, while minimizing its negative impacts on the environment and human health. It involves various strategies and approaches to reduce, reuse, recycle, and properly dispose of waste materials together with ESG concepts. Prof. Yong Sik Ok at Korea University serves as the Chair and the Program Director of the program and co-directed by Prof. William Mitch at Stanford University.

About Professor Yong Sik Ok Professor Yong Sik Ok is a KU HCR Professor. He is the Chair and Program Director of the Sustainable Waste Management Program for the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) and the President of the International ESG Association. Prof. Ok has made history by being the first and only Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) in three fields, namely, Environment and Ecology, Engineering, and Biology and Biochemistry, in the year 2022, which is abundant evidence of his outstanding contribution to research. Notably, he was declared an HCR in Cross Fields in 2018 and became the first Korean HCR in Environment and Ecology in 2019. Additionally, he was declared the first Korean HCR in Environment and Ecology, and Engineering in 2021. He maintains a worldwide professional network by serving as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST, five-year IF:13.6) at Taylor and Francis, an extremely distinguished and highly ranked international journal that publishes leading research on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG. Prof. Ok hosted the first Nature conference in Seoul, which was attended by representatives from several South Korean universities, on waste management and valorization for a sustainable future. This conference was held in collaboration with the Chief Editors of Nature Sustainability, Nature Electronics, and Nature Nanotechnology, in 2021. Furthermore, he also partnered with Nature journal to host the first Nature Forum on ESG for Global Sustainability: The E Pillar for Sustainable Business in August 2022. The 2023 Global ESG Forum in Singapore was yet another remarkable event that Prof. Ok hosted which brought together academic experts, industrial partners, and ESG practitioners. The recently concluded 6th Global Conference on ESG Management & Sustainability marked another milestone in Prof. Oks ongoing journey toward achieving sustainability and ESG goals together with Prof. Jay Hyuk Rhee (President, KU ESG Research Institute & President, International ESG Association) at Korea University Business School.

Environmental Pollution

Computational simulation/modeling

Not applicable

Machine learning prediction and interpretation of the impact of microplastics on soil properties

5-Nov-2023

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced the work reported in this study.

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Artificial intelligence predicts the influence of microplastics on soil properties - EurekAlert

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The video shows Ree Drummond doing a giveaway for Le Creuset cookware, but she says the video is fake and that AI generated her voice to create the ad.

Friday, December 29th 2023, 2:50 pm

Ree Drummond is warning her fans in a social media post about a fake video of Ree doing a cookware giveaway.

The Federal Trade Commission says these videos are known as deep fakes, artificial intelligence using someone's face and voice. It can oftentimes be used to sell something or endorse something.

The video shows Ree Drummond doing a giveaway for Le Creuset cookware, but she says the video is fake and that AI generated her voice to create the ad.

She posted on her Instagram profile that it was artificial intelligence that used her voice to create the ad.

The Federal Trade Commission says this is known as deep fake, and it's unethical to use videos like this to sell something.

Scammers can also use the videos to collect your personal information and experts warn you should never click any links connected to videos that look suspicious.

The FTC says these videos are becoming more and more popular, and it's harder to tell what's real and what's fake.

Actor Tom Hanks has spoken on social media about an AI video created of him doing a dental commercial, and CBS Mornings host Gayle King shared about a video created of her endorsing a medical supplement.

Experts say sometimes you can watch the person's mouth to see if it matches up to what they are saying.

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Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Warns Of Artificial Intelligence Scam - News On 6

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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT catalysed a surge of interest in the technology. But it also fuelled anxieties about it.

Artificial intelligence (AI) went mainstream in 2023. It was a long time coming yet has a long way to go for the technology to match people's science fiction fantasies of human-like machines.

Catalysing a year of AI fanfare was ChatGPT. The chatbot gave the world a glimpse of recent advances in computer science even if not everyone figured out quite how it works or what to do with it.

"I would call this an inflection moment," pioneering AI scientist Fei-Fei Li said.

"2023 is, in history, hopefully going to be remembered for the profound changes of the technology as well as the public awakening. It also shows how messy this technology is".

It was a year for people to figure out "what this is, how to use it, whats the impact all the good, the bad and the ugly," she said.

The first AI panic of 2023 set in soon after New Year's Day when classrooms reopened and schools from Seattle to Paris started blocking ChatGPT.

Teenagers were already asking the chatbot - released in late 2022 - to compose essays and answer take-home tests.

AI large language models behind technology such as ChatGPT work by repeatedly guessing the next word in a sentence after having "learned" the patterns of a huge trove of human-written works.

They often get facts wrong. But the outputs appeared so natural that it sparked curiosity about the next AI advances and its potential use for trickery and deception.

Worries escalated as this new cohort of generative AI tools - spitting out not just words but novel images, music, and synthetic voices - threatened the livelihoods of anyone who writes, draws, strums, or codes for a living.

It fueled strikes by Hollywood writers and actors and legal challenges from visual artists and bestselling authors.

Some of the AI field's most esteemed scientists warned that the technologys unchecked progress was marching toward outsmarting humans and possibly threatening their existence, while other scientists called their concerns overblown or brought attention to more immediate risks.

By spring, AI-generated deepfakes - some more convincing than others - had leaped into US election campaigns, where one falsely showed Donald Trump embracing the nation's former top infectious disease expert.

The technology made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fabricated war footage in Ukraine and Gaza.

By the end of the year, the AI crises had shifted to ChatGPT's own maker, the San Francisco-based startup OpenAI, nearly destroyed by corporate turmoil over its charismatic CEO, and to a government meeting room in Belgium, where exhausted political leaders from across the European Union emerged after days of intense talks with a deal for the world's first major AI legal safeguards.

The new EU AI Act will take a few years to fully take effect, and other lawmaking bodies - including the US Congress - are still a long way from enacting their own.

There's no question that commercial AI products unveiled in 2023 incorporated technological achievements not possible in earlier stages of AI research, which trace back to the mid-20th century.

But the latest generative AI trend is at peak hype, according to the market research firm Gartner, which has tracked what it calls the "hype cycle" of emerging technology since the 1990s. Picture a wooden rollercoaster ticking up to its highest hill, about to careen down into what Gartner describes as a "trough of disillusionment" before coasting back to reality.

"Generative AI is right in the peak of inflated expectations," Gartner analyst Dave Micko said. "Theres massive claims by vendors and producers of generative AI around its capabilities, its ability to deliver those capabilities".

Google drew criticism this month for editing a video demonstration of its most capable AI model, called Gemini, in a way that made it appear more impressive - and human-like.

Micko said leading AI developers are pushing certain ways of applying the latest technology, most of which correspond to their current line of products - be they search engines or workplace productivity software. That doesn't mean that's how the world will use it.

"As much as Google and Microsoft and Amazon and Apple would love us to adopt the way that they think about their technology and that they deliver that technology, I think adoption actually comes from the bottom up," he said.

It's easy to forget that this isn't the first wave of AI commercialisation. Computer vision techniques developed by Li and other scientists helped sort through a huge database of photos to recognize objects and individual faces and help guide self-driving cars. Speech recognition advances made voice assistants like Siri and Alexa a fixture in many people's lives.

"When we launched Siri in 2011, it was at that point the fastest-growing consumer app and the only major mainstream application of AI that people had ever experienced," said Tom Gruber, co-founder of Siri Inc., which Apple bought and made an integral iPhone feature.

But Gruber believes what's happening now is the "biggest wave ever" in AI, unleashing new possibilities as well as dangers.

"Were surprised that we could accidentally encounter this astonishing ability with language, by training a machine to play solitaire on all of the Internet," Gruber said. "Its kind of amazing".

The dangers could come fast in 2024, as major national elections in the US, India, and elsewhere could get flooded with AI-generated deepfakes.

In the longer term, AI technology's rapidly improving language, visual perception, and step-by-step planning capabilities could supercharge the vision of a digital assistant but only if granted access to the "inner loop of our digital lifestream," Gruber said.

"They can manage your attention as in, 'you should watch this video. You should read this book. You should respond to this persons communication,'" Gruber said.

"That is what a real executive assistant does. And we could have that, but with a really big risk of personal information and privacy".

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AI went mainstream in 2023. It was also the year we started to panic - Euronews

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