As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries and daily life, two researchers from the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), have shed light on a critical but often overlooked aspect of AI’s impact: its potential to increase climate risks.
Felippa Amanta, doctoral student and Prof Charlie Wilson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change and Senior Research Fellow at the ECI highlight the nuanced intersections between AI and climate change—and why addressing these risks is vital for a sustainable future.
While AI is widely praised for its potential to aid in climate solutions, the researchers’ latest analysis highlights that the technology’s influence extends far beyond the energy consumption of data centres. Their research uncovers how AI-driven shifts in behaviour, infrastructure, and governance could inadvertently hinder progress toward net-zero emissions.
From the risk of energy-hungry rebound effects to growing cybersecurity threats undermining trust in low-carbon technologies, and the amplification of climate misinformation through AI-generated content, their findings underscore a complex web of challenges which they say must be addressed to ensure AI supports, rather than undermines, climate goals.
The researchers call for urgent attention to AI’s systemic climate risks and emphasise the need for governance frameworks that integrate climate considerations into AI development and deployment.
Read the full article in Tech Policy Press: The Overlooked Climate Risks of Artificial Intelligence