Eco Comment – Artificial Intelligence: The Shape of Things to Come (or is it Already Here?)

The subject of this week’s Eco Comment comes at the suggestion of Kitty, to whom I send my copy every week and they then include it within the Cathedral Catch-Up. I am very grateful, and I hope our readers are too.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of those subjects that is seen and heard of regularly in the media, but how many of us really understand it? AI is often presented as being something that we should possibly be afraid of, but research shows that there are many positive applications as well.  

AI is a catch-all term for a group of technologies that can process information and, at least superficially, mimic human thinking. Rudimentary forms of AI have been around since the 1950s. But the technology has evolved at a breakneck pace in recent years, in part because of advances in computing power and the explosion of data, which is crucial for training AI models. AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that. (unep.org) I make no apology for including the following information exactly as printed by the United Nations Environment Programme. They present the information in a far more succinct way than I could, so please read on … 

‘Why are people excited about the potential of AI when it comes to the environment?  

The big benefit of AI is that it can detect patterns in data, such as anomalies and similarities, and use historic knowledge to accurately predict future outcomes. That could make AI invaluable for monitoring the environment, and helping governments, businesses and individuals make more planet-friendly choices. It can also enhance efficiencies. UNEP, for example, uses AI to detect when oil and gas installations vent methane, a greenhouse gas that drives climate change.   

Advances like those are fostering hope that AI could help the world tackle at least some aspects of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.’ 

You may possibly have an app on your phone that allows you to identify plants and if necessary, advise on their care, especially if they’re not in the best of health. I read an article in the Guardian on Monday about a framer in Kenya who uses a similar app to get the best out of his coffee farm. His app is Virtual Agronomist, an AI tool which suggests how much fertiliser he should use on a specific area of his farm. He is surprised by the result as he was intending to use much more than the app suggested was the optimum amount. “My God” he says “I could have wasted money!” Selim, the farmer has been using this AI tool since 2022 ‘with the help of another farmer who had a smartphone. Following it’s recommendations, his farm produced 7.3 tonnes of coffee, his highest yield ever.’ (High tech, high yields? The Kenyan farmers deploying AI to increase productivity. Carlos Mureithi. The Guardian 30.9.24) 

Whilst this is a success story and there are more highlighted in the article, reading further gives words of caution. Not only is the AI dependent on farmers who have smartphones but the farmers also need to have the skillsets to use both the technology but also have a farming background. Otherwise, the technology might ‘exclude indigenous knowledge and exclude successful localised practices.’ 

The following gives a run down of the ecological issues associated with AI. It’s a sort of ‘Catch 22’ situation, like electric cars. Yes, electric cars save on fossil fuels, but the batteries are incredibly heavy and so affect the road surfaces they drive on. They are also dependant on various elements and minerals for the battery production and they still need electricity to be powered up. 

How is AI problematic for the environment?  

Most large-scale AI deployments are housed in data centres, including those operated by cloud service providers. These data centres can take a heavy toll on the planet. The electronics they house rely on a staggering amount of grist: making a 2 kg computer requires 800 kg of raw materials. As well, the microchips that power AI need rare earth elements, which are often mined in environmentally destructive ways, noted in  Navigating New Horizons.   

The second problem is that data centres produce electronic waste, which often contains hazardous substances, like mercury and lead.   

Third, data centres use water during construction and, once operational, to cool electrical components. Globally, AI-related infrastructure may soon consume six times more water than Denmark, a country of 6 million, according to one estimate. That is a problem when a quarter of humanity already lacks access to clean water and sanitation.   

Finally, to power their complex electronics, data centres that host AI technology need a lot of energy, which in most places still comes from the burning of fossil fuels, producing planet-warming greenhouse gases. A request made through ChatGPT, an AI-based virtual assistant, consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google Search, reported the International Energy Agency. While global data is sparse, the agency estimates that in the tech hub of Ireland, the rise of AI could see data centres account for nearly 35 per cent of the country’s energy use by 2026.   

Driven in part by the explosion of AI, the number of data centres has surged to 8 million from 500,000 in 2012, and experts expect the technology’s demands on the planet to keep growing.’ 

So Is anybody doing anything about the environmental impacts of AI?  

More than 190 countries have adopted a series of non-binding recommendations on the ethical use of AI, which covers the environment. As well, both the European Union and the United States of America have introduced legislation to temper the environmental impact of AI. But policies like those are few and far between, says Radwan.  

“Governments are racing to develop national AI strategies but rarely do they take the environment and sustainability into account. The lack of environmental guardrails is no less dangerous than the lack of other AI-related safeguards.”  

How can the world rein in the environmental fallout from AI?  

In the new issue note, UNEP recommends five main things. Firstly, countries can establish standardised procedures for measuring the environmental impact of AI; right now, there’s a dearth of reliable information on the subject. Secondly, with support from UNEP, governments can develop regulations that require companies to disclose the direct environmental consequences of AI-based products and services. Thirdly, tech companies can make AI algorithms more efficient, reducing their demand for energy, while recycling water and reusing components where feasible. Fourthly, countries can encourage companies to green their data centres, including by using renewable energy and offsetting their carbon emissions. Finally, countries can weave their AI-related policies into their broader environmental regulations.  

If you’re interested, I read several other articles about the pros and cons of AI.  This was one of the most interesting.

Possibly this is a subject to be revisited in the future, but in the meantime we have to consider whether its benefits outweigh the issues with both the environmental impact and the possible ethical misuses by those rogue traders and peddlers of false information. As ever, we must pray that sense prevails and that the good win out.  

Susan Morgan
Eco Group