Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a pivotal tool in the fight against climate change, with applications ranging from enhanced weather forecasting to agricultural monitoring. However, the rapid expansion of AI technology has sparked concerns regarding its energy consumption, water usage, and equitable access to its benefits. These issues were at the forefront of a panel discussion titled AI and Climate Change: The Good, the Bad and the Uncertain, hosted by Ontario Tech University during its annual Critical Climate Week. The event coincided with COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently taking place in Amazonia, Brazil.
As climate change exacerbates environmental challenges such as heatwaves, altered rainfall patterns, and increasing water scarcity, vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected. Dr. Peter Lewis, Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence at Ontario Tech, highlighted a troubling contradiction: “Against this backdrop, humanity, almost exclusively the global north, is building potentially some of the most energy- and water-consuming technology we’ve ever conceived: modern artificial intelligence.”
Panelists brought attention to the gap between awareness of AI’s environmental impact and actual behavior change. Dr. Hannah Kerner from Arizona State University remarked that many of her students are unaware of the substantial resources needed for popular AI tools like ChatGPT, yet they continue to use them. This pattern mirrors consumer behavior in other industries, such as fast fashion and industrial food systems, where awareness of negative impacts does not deter participation.
To promote responsible AI usage, Dr. Theresa Miedema from Ontario Tech proposed integrating clearer disclosures about AI’s environmental effects into sustainability reporting and institutional decision-making, alongside broader policy frameworks. This approach aims to create a more informed base for evaluating the technology’s role in climate action.
The equity implications of AI deployment were also significant topics during the discussion, particularly the risk of what some panelists termed “digital colonialism,” where technologies are implemented without local input. Dr. Merlin Chatwin, an Ontario Tech post-doctoral fellow and Executive Director of Open North, emphasized the necessity of incorporating Indigenous perspectives and bolstering digital public infrastructure to ensure climate investments target the most vulnerable regions. “Although there are tangible uses of AI in climate action, we need to ensure its use doesn’t intensify existing inequalities or further marginalize vulnerable populations,” he stated.
Despite these challenges, the panelists expressed optimism about the potential of AI to support data-driven decision-making in climate strategies. Dr. Miedema described climate change as a “systems problem,” where AI could play a crucial role in modeling complex ecosystem interactions. This capability can inform policymakers on resource allocation for conservation and species protection.
Other promising applications of AI include wildfire prediction, advanced weather forecasting, and agricultural monitoring across vast regions. Dr. Kerner illustrated this potential through her involvement with NASA Harvest and NASA Acres programs, which utilize AI to monitor crop health and evaluate the impacts of disasters and conflict on food production. This research taps into global field-boundary data, which is increasingly accessible through AI models trained on satellite imagery. The results support policies, such as the European Union’s deforestation regulations, aimed at fostering sustainable supply chains and aiding community adaptation to environmental changes.
Rather than categorizing AI as simply good or bad, Dr. Miedema called for a reevaluation of the values that guide technological development and usage. “There’s so much buzz about whether AI is good or bad for climate change, and I think that’s the wrong question,” she stated. “I’ve got a news flash: It is not AI. It’s us; it’s our over-consumption, our addiction to stuff, our ability to consume and impose the costs on other people.”
She argued that effectively addressing climate change necessitates a reimagining of these values and priorities, applying technology in ways that contribute to sustainable and equitable human flourishing. As the implications of AI continue to unfold, the dialogue surrounding its use in climate action will likely shape future approaches to both technology and environmental stewardship.
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