Roel Dobbe in AI & Sustainability panel at the Green Tech Summit in the European Parliament
Roel Dobbe participated in the AI & Sustainability panel at the Green Tech Summit 2023. In his contribution he drew on recent research in his group working at the intersection of the development of AI systems and the necessary policy and institutional context needed to ensure the deployment of such technology is safe, just and sustainable. He also drew on the broader literature to outline what is needed to get a holistic and more granular idea of the sustainability implications of AI systems.
Need for transparency on environmental implications
Dobbe stressed the importance of the provision of transparency on energy use of AI systems included in the AI Act, a victory which he contributed to with ongoing advice to involved parliamentarians. This will make a much-needed start to reduce the lack of transparency on the rapidly growing energy and carbon footprint of the underlying computational cloud infrastructure. According to Dobbe, to measure impact, we must go further than quantitative metrics alone. ‘Qualitative frameworks can bring into view how AI systems impact social-technological couplings (e.g. how AI systems impact our information provision about climate change), ecological-technological couplings (e.g. how AI is used cynically to accelerate fossil fuel production) and social-ecological couplings (e.g. how digital technologies shape our relationship to nature). Policy makers should embrace a systems perspective that includes various issues and related political dimensions of environmental justice.’
About Green Tech Summit
Green Tech Summit Europe 2023 is a high-profile conference dedicated to bringing together environmental and digital rights organizations, academia, technology companies, policymakers, and start-ups who are committed to mitigating the environmental impacts of digital technologies. This event provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing aimed at fostering regulatory solutions to balance technological advancements with environmental sustainability and addressing the environmental challenges posed by digital technologies.
