Can AI be sustainable?
Over 100 partners, including 37 tech companies, 11 countries and 5 international organizations, have joined forces with the UN under the Coalition for Environmentally Sustainable Artificial Intelligence, aiming to ramp up global momentum to place AI on a more environmentally sustainable path.
Spearheaded by France, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the new AI Coalition brings together “stakeholders across the AI value chain for dialogue and ambitious collaborative initiatives,” according their press material.
193 countries have adopted a series of non-binding recommendations on the ethical use of AI, but a few of these are troubling because among the 193, some of them are considered the “most dangerous countries in the world” by the International Security Journal; they include countries that face severe human rights violations including Afghanistan (run by the Taliban), Syria (run by an ex-Al Qaeda leader), Yemen (controlled by the Houthis). Will they have an equal say in how AI is built or unbuilt with human biases and ambitions that may not be shared as a value across the board?
“We know that AI can be a force for climate action and energy efficiency,” says the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “But we also know AI power-intensive systems are already placing an unsustainable strain on our planet,” “So it is crucial to design AI algorithms and infrastructures that consume less energy and integrate AI into smart grids to optimize power use.”
The Coalition was announced at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, where Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs, academics, artists, and members of civil society gathered to discuss support for AI innovation, adequate regulation, and respect for rights to ensure development of these technologies in the interests of all, including developing countries.
According to their marketing material, the Coalition will encourage AI initiatives for the planet, including its role in decarbonizing economies, reducing pollution, preserving biodiversity, protecting the oceans, and ensuring humanity operates within planetary boundaries.
“It will use a collaborative approach – bringing together governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector – to focus on standardized methods and metrics for measuring AI’s environmental impacts, comprehensive life cycle analysis frameworks for reporting and disclosure, and prioritization of research on sustainable AI.”
What is sustainable AI? What is an environmental impact? Who chooses who enters the pact?
The new EU coalition argues that the the EU itself has tried and the United States of America have introduced legislation to temper the environmental impact of AI. “However, the policy landscape remains sparse.” The EU group believes that they can “inform investors, development banks and local authorities on the objective elements defining an energy-efficient data centre.”
“The power of AI to solve complex global challenges is becoming ever clearer, but so too are its environmental impacts and the need for environmental guardrails to ensure the field grows sustainably,” said Golestan (Sally) Radwan, Chief Digital Officer for UNEP, from Egypt. “The new Coalition brings together critical stakeholders who have the power to work together and build systems that ensure the net effect of AI on the planet is positive as the technology continues to deploy rapidly.”
Updated, February 20, 2025
