Researchers at the University of Texas – Austin, alongside leading institutions from Singapore, Sweden, and China, have harnessed artificial intelligence to develop what may be the whitest — and coolest — roof paint ever created.
This isn’t your average can of white paint. The innovation lies in a thermal meta-emitter coating, engineered through an AI-driven machine-learning framework. This smart design gives the coating a superpower: it reflects sunlight and emits heat away with unmatched efficiency.
In tests, rooftops treated with this AI-engineered paint stayed 5 to 20 °C (9 to 36 °F) cooler than rooftops coated in standard white or gray paints — even after four hours of baking under the sun.
So how did they do it? With the help of AI, the team generated over 1,500 new material combinations, something that would’ve taken human researchers months or even years. They tested several in a model home setting, and one combination rose above the rest — proving itself capable of significantly lowering temperatures while dramatically reducing the need for air conditioning.
In hot, energy-hungry urban centers like Rio de Janeiro or Bangkok, this coating could be a game-changer. Simulations suggest a four-story building covered with this paint might save up to 15,800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually — roughly enough to power over 1,000 window AC units under certain conditions.
According to Professor Yuebing Zheng, the project’s lead researcher:
“Our machine learning framework represents a significant leap forward in the design of thermal meta‑emitters… By automating the process, we can create materials with superior performance that were previously unimaginable.”
Beyond buildings, this discovery opens exciting new doors. Think car panels that stay cool in the sun, electronics that regulate their own temperatures, or even spacecraft shielding from solar heat.
But perhaps the most immediate and widespread benefit lies in cooling our cities without the carbon cost. As this high-tech paint reflects sunlight rather than absorbing it, it helps counter the urban heat island effect, where dense cities become significantly warmer than surrounding areas due to heat-trapping surfaces like roads and rooftops.
This dual impact — lowering cooling costs while reducing emissions — makes the AI-designed coating a powerful ally in the fight against climate change and extreme heat.
The best part? It’s still just the beginning. As material science meets machine learning, the next generation of climate-smart tech could be just a few algorithms away.
Want to learn more about how this paint could change your energy bill — and your summer comfort? Read the full story on the Good News Network.
