In a development that could reduce the emissions that exacerbate humanity's climate crisis, an international team of engineers may have created the whitest coating yet—with the help of artificial intelligence.

Their new thermal coating could reduce energy bills significantly by keeping buildings cooler, according to research from the University of Texas-Austin, National University of Singapore, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Umea University in Sweden.

Their AI approach for creating complex materials that are 'three-dimensional thermal meta-emitters' resulted in 1,500 different materials that can selectively emit heat at various levels and in different manners—making them ideal for energy efficiency through more precise cooling and heating.