During our 45th leadership conversation, we had the honor of hosting Siddhant Desai and Om Desai, two exceptional young leaders, who shared insights about AI for Good and their work on Project Green. When asked about their views on leadership, Om responded, “Leadership means identifying your goals and the path to achieve them. Utilizing your skills as a teacher to support and motivate others in reaching common objectives.” Siddhant responded, “Leadership involves guiding a group of individuals toward a shared vision. Collaborating with a team to accomplish more and work towards a common goal. Inspiring young people to understand climate change and advocate for positive action.”

When Ana asked Om Desai about his projects and how he employs AI to make a positive difference, he shared examples like tracking animal migration to protect them, setting up cameras for animal conservation, and modeling carbon emissions to find effective ways to reduce them.

When Ana inquired about SamurAI, Siddhant explained that it leverages AI for social and environmental improvements, exploring various applications. The project Green focuses on reforestation, using satellite-based detection to identify ideal locations. They also have an Open API project to spread the initiative of reforestation.

Ana further asked Om about community projects like “Young students teach younger kids” and how they help in tackling environmental issues and the potential of using AI for such projects. Om emphasized the importance of inspiring people to believe in their ability to make a difference and getting youth involved in environmental topics. He expressed that AI holds significant potential in community-based projects.

To Siddhant, when asked about recommendations for youth leaders pursuing a similar path, he advised them to dive in without being intimidated, as every contribution matters in achieving the final goal. He encouraged seeking local organizations to support their vision, fearlessly using the technology they are familiar with, and staying updated with technological advancements. Siddhant emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals who share the same vision.

About the guest speakers

Om Desai is an undergrad Mathematics and Computer Science student at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, currently interning at Oaknorth Bank, UK, working on quantitative development and analysis. He is passionate about tackling complex problems and finding innovative solutions using emerging technologies. He has a strong interest in leveraging mathematics and technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) for social good, more specifically towards understanding the earth’s climate system and to create climate resilience. His research has been published in international conference proceedings. For multiple years, he has been recognized as MaPD, someone who is “Making a Positive Difference” in the community by Davidson Institute, for the community movement he started “Young Students Teach Younger Kids” as a cofounder of TeamAIRO. He has formed and led the AI & Climate Advocacy committee within FXB international. Like-minded climate advocates with a passion for technology are invited to connect.

Siddhant Desai is a senior at the Academy for Math, Science and Engineering in Rockaway, New Jersey. He is an avid nature lover and spends time outdoors cycling, hiking, and fishing. When Siddhant realized that climate change and global warming impacted all of the things he loved about nature he knew he had to get involved. He has a strong background in technology, programming, and artificial intelligence. He founded SamurAI, an organization dedicated towards using AI for social good. Through SamurAI, he was able to create a software that detects areas of deforestation and potential areas of reforestation using satellite data all over the world. Siddhant plans on exploring other ways to use modern technology to fight against climate change as a part of the POP Movement.