Tackling the climate change crisis is one of the most urgent challenges facing us today. Climate change stems from the large amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. To reduce our carbon footprint, we can make our homes and businesses energy-efficient, produce and consume goods and foods sustainably, and update our transportation infrastructure-- making vehicles more efficient and optimizing traffic flow. In the fight against the climate crisis, AI is described as both a hero and a villain, which begs the question:
Is it possible to use AI sustainably, or do its risks outweigh its benefits?
AI based technology predicts climate emergencies, fine-tunes efficiency via smart grids, smart home tech, and apps that measure energy consumption and offer tailor-made, individualized suggestions to guide us toward more sustainable choices. However, our growing reliance on AI comes with its problems: concerns over privacy, ethics, corporate monopolization, and the high energy required to run AI's complex models.
How do we minimize the risks while reaping the benefits? It comes down to keeping AI's limitations in mind, weighing these against our most pressing climate-related challenges. For example, while AI enables precise energy monitoring and smart grids it makes us vulnerable to the mining of our personal data and private household behavior. Also, AI facilitates more innovative city planning and traffic flow design and expands the potential for energy-efficient construction of buildings, but many have expressed concerns about location tracking.
Concerns over privacy and ethics are not the only areas of risk. Consumption directly tied to AI and smart tech is significant. Smart appliances are more energy-efficient than their old-school counterparts. However, they typically require more frequent replacement than their less complex predecessors. The processing power needed to run AI's extensive training takes an equally vast amount of energy. According to MIT Sloan Management Review, since 2012, the computing power of extensive AI training runs has doubled every 3.4 months on average.
Is there a way to harness the processing power of AI without burning through energy at such magnitude?
Resources and Civic Participation
Use apps to stay on top of our consumption of energy (Earth Hero), to choose environmentally conscious products (Impact Score), and to gamify sustainable habits.
Participate in "citizen science," using platforms like Zooniverse and Climateprediction.net to contribute our private computers' processing power and data to climate research.
Choose more sustainable versions of our tech using eco-friendly and/or recycled materials, shifting from on-premises data centers to those based in the cloud, and choosing devices with longer battery life.
Spend our money on products that adhere to ethical guidelines, maintain standards for modeling and data usage, and act with sustainability in mind.
Support climate-conscious AI companies and the local infrastructure, politicians, and agencies that commit to regulating them and continuously monitoring their ethical guidelines and policies.
Corporate Sustainability
Corporate sustainability reporting for AI risks is crucial for ensuring responsible AI use and leveraging AI technologies to address climate change. It promotes transparency, compliance, and stakeholder engagement while driving innovation and resource optimization to create a more sustainable future. Many jurisdictions, including in the EU, require certain companies to publish reports on the social and environmental risks they face, and on how their activities impact people and the environment.
Corporate sustainability is important and beneficial for several reasons, especially in the context of climate change:
Transparency and Accountability: Organizations can demonstrate their commitment to ethical AI use and environmental responsibility by being transparent about how AI technologies are deployed and their associated risks. In this way, accountability is enhanced as stakeholders, including investors, customers, and regulators, can evaluate the company's performance and adherence to sustainability goals.
Regulatory Compliance: By reporting AI risks, companies can ensure compliance with existing and forthcoming regulations related to AI and environmental sustainability. In addition, staying ahead of regulatory requirements can prevent legal issues and potential fines.
Risk Management: Identifying and disclosing AI risks allows companies to proactively manage and mitigate potential negative impacts on the environment. Effective risk management can lead to more resilient and sustainable business operations.
Stakeholder Trust and Engagement: Transparent reporting fosters trust among stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, and the community. Engaging stakeholders in sustainability efforts can lead to collaborative solutions and innovations.
AI has been a valuable tool in our effort to combat climate change. Its processing power doesn't just command vast amounts of energy, it uses its capabilities to improve energy efficiency, optimize water usage, and make agriculture more sustainable. AI can do a lot for us, but we should be mindful of the risks and consequences.
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