Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to pinpoint and analyse ethical issues raised by the dual role of artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to climate change, that is, AI as a contributor to climate change and AI as a contributor to fighting climate change.Design/methodology/approachThis paper consists of three main parts. The first part provides a short background on AI and climate change respectively, followed by a presentation of empirical findings on the contribution of AI to climate change. The second part presents proposals by various AI researchers and commentators on how AI companies may contribute to fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from training and use of AI and by providing AI assistance to various mitigation and adaptation measures. The final part investigates ethical issues raised by some of the options presented in the second part.FindingsAI applications may lead to substantial emissions but may also play an important role in mitigation and adaptation. Given this dual role of AI, ethical considerations by AI companies and governments are of vital importance.Practical implicationsThis paper pinpoints practical ethical issues that AI companies and governments should take into account.Social implicationsGiven the potential impact of AI on society, it is vital that AI companies and governments take seriously the ethical issues raised by the dual role of AI in relation to climate change.Originality/valueAI has been the subject of substantial ethical investigation, and even more so has climate change. However, the relationship between AI and climate change has received only limited attention from an ethical perspective. This paper provides such considerations.
Highlights
IntroductionArtificial intelligence (AI) has been the topic of substantial ethical investigation (for example, Bostrom, 2011; Coeckelbergh, 2020) and even more so has climate change (Gardiner et al, 2010; Gardiner, 2011; Brooks, 2021)
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the topic of substantial ethical investigation and even more so has climate change (Gardiner et al, 2010; Gardiner, 2011; Brooks, 2021)
In this paper, I have pinpointed and analysed ethical issues raised by the dual role of AI in relation to climate change, that is, AI as a contributor to climate change and AI as a contributor to fighting climate change
Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the topic of substantial ethical investigation (for example, Bostrom, 2011; Coeckelbergh, 2020) and even more so has climate change (Gardiner et al, 2010; Gardiner, 2011; Brooks, 2021). The second part provides examples of how AI companies may contribute to fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from training and use of AI and by providing AI assistance to various mitigation and adaptation measures. The use of the models in the real world (“inference”) leads to further emissions These studies of ICT in general and AI indicate that AI can be expected to contribute substantially to climate change. Due to its potential impact in various societal domains, AI can be expected to require vast amounts of energy, and at present and in the near future, this energy comes to a large extent from fossil fuels This leads to substantial greenhouse gas emissions. They could reduce the emissions from training and use of AI and thereby contribute to the mitigation of climate change They could provide AI assistance to mitigation measures in various societal domains. The options raise ethical issues, that is, issues about what should be done: How should emissions from training and use of AI be reduced?
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