TED@IBM
Tapiwa Chiwewe: You don't have to be an expert to solve big problems
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Driving in Johannesburg one day, Tapiwa Chiwewe noticed an enormous cloud of air pollution hanging over the city. He was curious and concerned but not an environmental expert -- so he did some research and discovered that nearly 14 percent of all deaths worldwide in 2012 were caused by household and ambient air pollution. With this knowledge and an urge to do something about it, Chiwewe and his colleagues developed a platform that uncovers trends in pollution and helps city planners make better decisions. "Sometimes just one fresh perspective, one new skill set, can make the conditions right for something remarkable to happen," Chiwewe says. "But you need to be bold enough to try."
Tapiwa Chiwewe - AI researcher
Tapiwa Chiwewe, PhD, manages the advanced and applied artificial intelligence group at IBM Research – Africa, which uses artificial intelligence to develop solutions for some of Africa's grand challenges whilst making scientific advances. Full bio
Tapiwa Chiwewe, PhD, manages the advanced and applied artificial intelligence group at IBM Research – Africa, which uses artificial intelligence to develop solutions for some of Africa's grand challenges whilst making scientific advances. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
One winter morning, a couple of years ago,
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I was driving to work
in Johannesburg, South Africa,
in Johannesburg, South Africa,
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and noticed a haze hanging over the city.
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I make that drive on most days,
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so it was unusual
that I hadn't noticed this before.
that I hadn't noticed this before.
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Johannesburg is known
for its distinctive skyline,
for its distinctive skyline,
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which I could barely see that morning.
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It didn't take long for me to realize
that I was looking at an enormous cloud
that I was looking at an enormous cloud
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of air pollution.
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The contrast between
the scenic environment I knew
the scenic environment I knew
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and this smog-covered skyline
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stirred up something within me.
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I was appalled by the possibility
of this city of bright and vivid sunsets
of this city of bright and vivid sunsets
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being overrun by a dull haze.
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At that moment, I felt an urge
to do something about it,
to do something about it,
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but I didn't know what.
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All I knew was
I couldn't just stand idly by.
I couldn't just stand idly by.
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The main challenge was,
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I didn't know much
about environmental science
about environmental science
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air-quality management
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or atmospheric chemistry.
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I am a computer engineer,
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and I was pretty sure I couldn't code
my way out of this air pollution problem.
my way out of this air pollution problem.
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(Laughter)
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Who was I to do anything about this issue?
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I was but a citizen.
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In the following years,
I learned a very important lesson,
I learned a very important lesson,
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a lesson we all need to take to heart
if we are to work towards a better future.
if we are to work towards a better future.
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Even if you're not an expert
in a particular domain,
in a particular domain,
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your outside expertise may hold the key
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to solving big problems
within that domain.
within that domain.
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Sometimes the unique perspective you have
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can result in unconventional thinking
that can move the needle,
that can move the needle,
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but you need to be bold enough to try.
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That's the only way you'll ever know.
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What I knew back then
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was that if I was even going
to try to make a difference,
to try to make a difference,
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I had to get smart
about air pollution first,
about air pollution first,
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and so I became a student again.
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I did a bit of basic research
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and soon learned that air pollution
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is the world's biggest
environmental health risk.
environmental health risk.
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Data from the World Health Organization
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shows that almost 14 percent
of all deaths worldwide in 2012
of all deaths worldwide in 2012
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were attributable to household
and ambient air pollution,
and ambient air pollution,
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with most occurring
in low- and middle-income countries.
in low- and middle-income countries.
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Ambient air pollution alone
causes more deaths each year
causes more deaths each year
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than malaria and HIV/AIDS.
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In Africa, premature deaths
from unsafe sanitation
from unsafe sanitation
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or childhood malnutrition
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pale in comparison
to deaths due to air pollution,
to deaths due to air pollution,
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and it comes at a huge economic cost:
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over 400 billion US dollars as of 2013,
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according to a study by the Organisation
for Economic Cooperation and Development.
for Economic Cooperation and Development.
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Now, in my work,
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I explore new frontiers
for artificial intelligence,
for artificial intelligence,
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where the symbiotic relationship
between man and machine
between man and machine
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can find a beneficial footing
and help us to make better decisions.
and help us to make better decisions.
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As I thought about
the air pollution problem,
the air pollution problem,
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it became clear that we needed
to find a way to make better decisions
to find a way to make better decisions
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about how we manage air pollution,
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and given the scale of the problem,
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it was necessary to do it
in a collaborative way.
in a collaborative way.
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So I decided I'd better get to know
some people working within the field.
some people working within the field.
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I started to speak to officials
from the City of Johannesburg
from the City of Johannesburg
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and other surrounding cities,
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and I engaged the local
scientific community,
scientific community,
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and I also made a few cold calls.
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The process of engagement I embarked upon
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helped me to develop
a deeper understanding of the problem.
a deeper understanding of the problem.
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It also helped me to avoid the trap
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people in my profession sometimes
fall into when trying to innovate,
fall into when trying to innovate,
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where we are quick to apply a technology
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before we've firmly grasped
the problem at hand.
the problem at hand.
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I began to develop an idea
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about what I could do
to improve the situation.
to improve the situation.
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I started by simply asking myself
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how I could bring together
in some meaningful way
in some meaningful way
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my skills in software engineering
and artificial intelligence
and artificial intelligence
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and the expertise of the people
I'd reached out to.
I'd reached out to.
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I wanted to create an online
air-quality management platform
air-quality management platform
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that would uncover trends in pollution
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and project into the future
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to determine what outcomes
can be expected.
can be expected.
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I was determined to see my idea
translate into a practical solution,
translate into a practical solution,
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but I faced uncertainty
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and had no guarantee of success.
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What I had was a very particular set
of engineering skills,
of engineering skills,
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skills I'd acquired over my career
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(Laughter)
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that were new to people who had
been working on the air pollution problem
been working on the air pollution problem
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for so many years.
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What I have come to realize is that
sometimes just one fresh perspective,
sometimes just one fresh perspective,
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one new skill set,
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can make the conditions right
for something remarkable to happen.
for something remarkable to happen.
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Our willpower and imagination
are a guiding light,
are a guiding light,
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enabling us to chart new paths
and navigate through obstacles.
and navigate through obstacles.
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Armed with a firmer understanding
of the air pollution problem,
of the air pollution problem,
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and having managed to source
over a decade's worth of data
over a decade's worth of data
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on air pollutant levels
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and the meteorological conditions
for in and around Johannesburg,
for in and around Johannesburg,
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my colleagues from South Africa
and China and myself
and China and myself
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created an air-quality
decision support system
decision support system
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that lives in the cloud.
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This software system
analyzes historical and real-time data
analyzes historical and real-time data
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to uncover the spatial-temporal
trends in pollution.
trends in pollution.
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We then used new
machine learning technology
machine learning technology
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to predict future levels of pollution
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for several different pollutants
days in advance.
days in advance.
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This means that citizens
can make better decisions
can make better decisions
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about their daily movements
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and about where to settle their families.
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We can predict adverse
pollution events ahead of time,
pollution events ahead of time,
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identify heavy polluters,
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and they can be ordered
by the relevant authorities
by the relevant authorities
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to scale back their operations.
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Through assisted scenario planning,
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city planners can also make
better decisions
better decisions
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about how to extend infrastructure,
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such as human settlements
or industrial zones.
or industrial zones.
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We completed a pilot of our technology
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that was run over a period of 120 days,
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covering all of South Africa.
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Our results were confirmed
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when we demonstrated a tight correlation
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between the forecasting data
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and the data we were getting
on the ground.
on the ground.
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Through our leadership,
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we have brought cutting-edge,
world-leading assets
world-leading assets
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that can perform air-quality forecasting
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at an unprecedented
resolution and accuracy,
resolution and accuracy,
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benefiting the city that I drove into
one winter morning not very long ago,
one winter morning not very long ago,
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and thought to myself,
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"Something is wrong here.
I wonder what can be done?"
I wonder what can be done?"
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So here is the point:
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What if I'd not investigated
the problem of air pollution further?
the problem of air pollution further?
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What if I'd not shown some concern
for the state of the environment
for the state of the environment
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and just hoped that someone,
somewhere, was taking care of the matter?
somewhere, was taking care of the matter?
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What I have learned is that,
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when embarking on a challenging endeavor
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that advances a cause
that we firmly believe in,
that we firmly believe in,
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it is important to focus
on the possibility of success
on the possibility of success
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and consider the consequence
of not acting.
of not acting.
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We should not get distracted
by resistance and opposition,
by resistance and opposition,
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but this should motivate us further.
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So wherever you are in the world,
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the next time you find
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that there's some
natural curiosity you have
natural curiosity you have
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that is being piqued,
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and it's about something you care about,
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and you have some crazy or bold ideas,
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and perhaps it's outside
the realm of your expertise,
the realm of your expertise,
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ask yourself this:
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Why not?
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Why not just go ahead
and tackle the problem
and tackle the problem
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as best as you can, in your own way?
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You may be pleasantly surprised.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tapiwa Chiwewe - AI researcherTapiwa Chiwewe, PhD, manages the advanced and applied artificial intelligence group at IBM Research – Africa, which uses artificial intelligence to develop solutions for some of Africa's grand challenges whilst making scientific advances.
Why you should listen
An engineer and researcher of many interests, Tapiwa Chiwewe has worked in academia and industry, developing commercial products and conducting scientific research in many areas that include mining, healthcare, defense, astronomy and the environment.
Chiwewe studied at the University of Pretoria in South Africa where he earned a PhD in Computer Engineering. His roles have ranged from junior lecturer and researcher, software engineer, followed by an extended stint with South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
Tapiwa Chiwewe | Speaker | TED.com