Responsible AI for Earth Observation

TL;DR

This paper explores the integration of responsible AI practices within Earth observation technologies, emphasizing ethical considerations, bias mitigation, privacy, and societal impacts to guide future research and application.

Contribution

It systematically defines the intersection of AI and Earth observation with a focus on responsible practices, addressing ethical, privacy, and bias issues in this emerging field.

Findings

Identification of key responsible AI components in EO

Analysis of ethical and privacy challenges in EO AI applications

Insights into future trends and research opportunities

Abstract

The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and Earth observation (EO) technologies has brought geoscience and remote sensing into an era of unparalleled capabilities. AI's transformative impact on data analysis, particularly derived from EO platforms, holds great promise in addressing global challenges such as environmental monitoring, disaster response and climate change analysis. However, the rapid integration of AI necessitates a careful examination of the responsible dimensions inherent in its application within these domains. In this paper, we represent a pioneering effort to systematically define the intersection of AI and EO, with a central focus on responsible AI practices. Specifically, we identify several critical components guiding this exploration from both academia and industry perspectives within the EO field: AI and EO for social good, mitigating unfair biases, AI security in EO, geo-privacy and privacy-preserving measures, as well as maintaining scientific excellence, open data, and guiding AI usage based on ethical principles. Furthermore, the paper explores potential opportunities and emerging trends, providing valuable insights for future research endeavors.