Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change

Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change

Opportunities, considerations, and policy levers to align AI with climate change goals
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With the increasing deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across society, it is important to understand in which ways AI may accelerate or impede climate progress, and how various stakeholders can guide those developments. On the one hand, AI can facilitate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies within a variety of sectors, such as energy, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, and disaster management. On the other hand, AI can also contribute to rising greenhouse gas emissions through applications that benefit high-emitting sectors or drive increases in consumer demand, as well as via energy use associated with AI itself. Here, we provide a brief overview of AI’s multi-faceted relationship with climate change, and recommend policy levers to align the use of AI with climate change mitigation and adaptation pathways.

Product details
Date of Publication
December 2020
Publisher
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Number of Pages
16
Licence
Language of publication
English
Table of contents

Foreword

Summary

1. What is AI?

2. Artificial intelligence and climate change

AI applications for climate change mitigation and adaptation

AI applications increasing emissions or with uncertain impact

Energy use of Al

3. Policy levers

4. Policy-relevant considerations


5. Conclusion

Recommended readings


References