April 22 is Earth Day, and all around the world, eco-conscious individuals and companies—including those within the CX industry—are doing their part to protect this planet we call home and preserve its natural resources. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day became an international day of awareness twenty years later. Today, more than a billion people from more than 190 countries participate in Earth Day events, which generally focus on a central theme. This year’s theme is Invest in our Planet, with a call to act (boldly), innovate (broadly) and implement (equitably). It’s a message those in the CX community—and we in the AI industry—understand better than most. So, what role do CX and AI play in protecting and preserving the earth? Let’s take a look.
“We love thinking in terms of reduce, reuse, recycle in our house. The first question to ask - do we really need this? Can we reduce consumption or at least reduce our need for packaging? Then we challenge each other before we throw something away - can we reuse this? And finally, recycling is an option for materials that are appropriate."
Jeannie Walters, Speaker and CX Expert
Fighting Climate Change with Artificial Intelligence
Today’s AI and machine learning technology is better than ever. So it should come as no surprise that the same tech that’s helping businesses predict customer intent and make more accurate forecasts is helping climate scientists pinpoint areas for environmental intervention. Three years ago, the MIT Technology Review shared a roadmap created by several AI leaders for using machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and other AI disciplines to combat climate change across 13 domains. These domains ranged from tracking deforestation to predicting energy usage to optimizing supply chains to minimize carbon emissions. In 2020, the Hindustan Times reported how AI was being deployed to monitor and analyze coral reef resilience around the Philippines, allowing marine scientists to accurately gauge the health of this delicate ecosystem without human interference.
How the CX Community is Helping the Environment
Whether it’s measuring climate change or analyzing customer sentiment, the tools we use are only as good as the people who use them. Few groups understand this better than the CX community. Representing a workforce of millions worldwide, CX employees from contact center workers to tech innovators are making an impact this Earth Day on a truly global scale. From reforestation efforts in India to cleaning up beaches in California, representatives from the CX industry are turning out en masse to combat the effects of pollution and protect the planet we all share.
“My family and I have adopted a highway,” Debbie Szumylo, Customer Experience Evangelist at Thomson Reuters, shared with us. “It’s a two-mile stretch in a rural area near our home. We clean it up every spring and every fall. Each time we do the cleanup, our group grows. I love that my kids’ friends want to join us and help out. We celebrate the work we did with a smoothie for everyone once we’ve completed the task!”
To learn more about how CX individuals are doing their part (and to share your own Earth Day activity) visit our LinkedIn page.
How Uniphore and the CX Community Are Investing in the Planet
At Uniphore, we’re passionate about protecting our environment—and we’re more than willing to get our hands dirty to do it. It’s a passion we celebrate today and every day, with grassroots conservation efforts and a love for the outdoors that’s ingrained in our DNA. This Earth Day is no different. All around the world, our team members have shared how they’re giving back this Earth Day and how they’re getting their families and communities involved. From planting trees to finding new ways to increase our energy efficiency, our Uniphore family is continuing a long legacy of putting our planet first. You can follow along on our LinkedIn page.
"We encourage my daughter and our son to get outside as much as often and she loves helping out in anyway possible, especially outdoors"
Logan Hemphill, Product Consultant, Uniphore
Want to find an Earth Day event near you? Visit EarthDay.org to learn how you can give back and get involved in the fight against climate change.
