- Challenge calls on university students and early career data scientists to help find solutions to world’s most pressing challenges
- This year focuses on ways artificial intelligence and data can help locate and protect biodiversity
- Winning models to be made available free of charge for non-commercial purposes
EY announces the launch of the 2022 Better Working World Data Challenge. Now in its third year, the global competition aimed at university students and early career data scientists, is part of the EY organization’s commitment to innovate and use technology to address some of the world's biggest environmental and climate change problems.
Following a record year in 2021 that saw more than 8,700 registrations from more than 115 countries and two winning models aimed at helping firefighting authorities map and predict the path of bushfires, this year’s competition will focus on ways artificial intelligence (AI) enabled methods can help locate and protect biodiversity.
Globally, biodiversity loss will threaten the ability to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty alleviation and food, water, and energy security. As a result, there is an urgent need to prioritize the geographical areas and species that most need help.
Participants in the 2022 Better Working World Data Challenge will use field data, satellite imagery and complementary geospatial data gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other resources to develop algorithms that will reduce the cost and time required to locate biodiversity, while also improving accuracy. Microsoft will provide all participants access to datasets from its planetary computer, learning courses to help them prepare for the Data Challenge and for students, access to Microsoft Azure credits via Azure for Students.
The winners, selected by a panel of judges from EY, NASA, Microsoft and members of the scientific community, will receive cash prizes and the winning models will be made available free of charge for non-commercial purposes.
Ronald Attard, Country Managing Partner of EY Cyprus, says: ''Combating climate change and loss of biodiversity is a challenge not only for governments but also for the private sector and academic community. At EY, we firmly believe that technology, and particularly data science, has a crucial role to play in providing effective solutions. Working together with NASA and Microsoft we seek to provide the opportunity to young data scientists to come up with innovative answers and solutions. We are proud and excited about this initiative that will help build a better working world.''
Registration is open and the winners will be announced in July 2022.
