Is artificial intelligence good or bad for climate change? - Futurity

You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. Will artificial intelligence be a help or a hindrance in the response to climate change? In the journal Nature Climate Change, a team of experts in AI, climate change, and public policy present a framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted relationship of AI with greenhouse gas emissions and suggest ways to better align AI with climate change goals. "AI affects the climate in many ways, both positive and negative, and most of these effects are poorly quantified," says coauthor David Rolnick, assistant professor of computer science at McGill University and a core academic member of Mila – Quebec AI Institute. "For example, AI is being used to track and reduce deforestation, but AI-based advertising systems are likely making climate change worse by increasing the amount that people buy." "Climate change should be a key consideration when developing and assessing AI technologies," says Lynn Kaack, assistant professor of computer science and public policy at the Hertie School, and lead author of the report.