Electrolux announced a new collaboration with IBM in the Asia Pacific & Middle East and Africa regions to provide real-time weather and environmental data to help consumers make energy-saving choices about when to use appliances such as clothes dryers, air purifiers and air conditioners. “This is the latest in a long line of partnerships between Electrolux and technology companies – Electrolux explains – to develop relevant offerings for consumers, this time enabling consumers to make more sustainable everyday choices in a part of the world where high levels of air pollution, heat and humidity are common”. IBM’s subsidiary The Weather Company uses an AI-enabled weather forecasting model to pull together real-time, hyper-localized data on air quality, pollen levels, humidity and temperature which is then sent to Electrolux. Weather predictions are then made available through the Electrolux Life App, a digital hub for Asian consumers, to provide sustainable living recommendations. Users for example will be prompted to use their clothes dryer when rain is forecast or when the air quality is not acceptable for air-drying. Similarly, the application recommends not to use the dryer when the outdoor weather is optimal for air-drying, thus saving energy.
