Loughborough Business School academics, Professors Tom Jackson and Ian Hodgkinson have put Digital Decarbonisation at the heart of this conversation through a collaboration with the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea, and Fisheries. Professors Jackson and Hodgkinson recently contributed to the Ministry’s new position paper, 'Key Challenges in Fostering the Environmental Performance of AI'. The paper outlines a series of challenges that must be overcome to maximise the positive impacts of AI and minimise its potential to negatively impact the environment.
The paper was launched at the prestigious AI Action Summit, held in Paris (10-11 February), a globally significant event aimed at leveraging initiatives on AI, including by the UN, the OECD, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), as well as the G7 and G20. The Paris AI Action Summit is the latest in a series of events to address the impact of the technology, building on previous international AI-focused gatherings, including the Bletchley Park and Seoul Summits.
Professor Jackson commented, “Our contributions to this critical position paper reinforces Loughborough’s reputation as a leader in sustainability and digital innovation, showcasing the University’s commitment to involvement in shaping global AI initiatives.”
The position paper highlights the challenges in fostering AI’s environmental performance, including the growing challenge of data waste and the need for reducing unnecessary storage of redundant and unused data, as well as inefficiently managed data in the AI lifecycle.
Professor Hodgkinson said: “All organisations need to be conscious of the dark side of their data practices. Organisations must engage responsibly with data-intensive and energy-intensive technologies like AI if we are to achieve a more sustainable future for digital technology, facilitated by the critical role of digital decarbonisation”.