AI as a tool.Oliver Kaspersson at SEI has helped develop a pilot version of an AI-powered chatbot that is now being tested on a small scale within C2B2’s LivingLab East. – It’s an attempt to make data more accessible, he says.
Within C2B2, work is underway to use AI to make research more accessible and applicable. A pilot version of a chatbot has now been developed and is being tested on a small scale. The tool focuses on how offshore wind power affects the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.
– We have allowed stakeholders in LivingLab East to try it out, and the response has been positive, says Oliver Kaspersson, a researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
His own role has largely involved coding relevant research articles and feeding them into the bot. This material forms the knowledge base of the tool.
With the data in place, it is now possible to ask specific questions to the AI-powered bot, which is built within ChatGPT’s interface.
A potential future test scenario for a more developed version of the bot could involve a wind power company wanting to know how marine life is affected by the sounds emitted by installations in the sea area.
The idea is that the question could then be entered and processed with the help of AI that uses the data as its foundation. The bot would then, ideally, be able to generate an answer.
For now, however, the tool is still at an early stage of development
Making knowledge more accessible
The key question guiding the work has been how to make the growing body of knowledge about marine sustainability more accessible, as a basis for making well-informed, evidence-based decisions about the impact of offshore wind power on ecosystems. According to Oliver Kaspersson, large numbers of articles are published on the topic, making it difficult to stay up to date.
– Publications often require subject-specific expertise as well, there is a lot of technical terminology. Much of the material is also behind paywalls, or difficult to find if you don’t know the right search terms, he says.
The technical work of building the pilot version was carried out by Charlotte Wagner, a senior researcher at SEI’s centre in Boston. After prompting the bot’s functions and getting it to respond in the intended way, she and Oliver Kaspersson went through a selection of 850 proposed international studies focusing on the Baltic Sea and ecosystem impacts. Through a review process, they selected the 26 most relevant ones.
They also labelled them using metadata so that they could be searched properly.
– ChatGPT actually has a limitation of about 20 articles, but we managed to work around that and include a few more.
During LivingLab East’s meeting in December, he presented the test version to participants and let them try it.
– They were very positive about the vision and purpose, and thought such a tool would be useful.
Uncertainties about whether AI leaks information
However, he says that concerns were also raised about the limitations that exist and the uncertainties involved.
– There were, for example, questions about security.
Another issue is that ChatGPT is constantly evolving.
– Things change all the time. For instance, we notice that from time to time it changes whether you can use the tool in the free version or whether you need a subscription.
But, he adds, the bot is still in a pilot stage and is currently being tested on a small scale.
– It needs to be further developed, tested and evaluated.
What was it like working with it?
– Exciting. It’s fascinating that AI is so accessible and offers such great opportunities across many different fields. In this case, it could provide tangible benefits for the marine environment.
Will you continue developing the bot?
– Nothing is decided yet, but we hope to have the opportunity to do so.
Facts: Oliver Kaspersson
Occupation: Researcher at SEI.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Master’s degree in Ocean and Society from the University of Gothenburg.
Age: 29.
Lives in: Stockholm.
Family: Partner.
Interests: Skiing and football.
Supports: IFK Göteborg.
Transport: Public transport and e-scooter.
Photo: Courtney Budelman, SEI