The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, began with the meeting of heads of state and government on the second day. The international event, attended by more than 100 world leaders, met on the second day to discuss bigger issues and propose initiatives.
Many experts from around the world also participated in COP29. They exchanged views on important issues at side events and also shared their views with local and international media.
AI observer and expert Shrey Goyal explains the difference between sustainable AI (designing environmentally friendly AI systems) and AI for sustainability (harnessing AI to achieve sustainable development goals ) in his interview with
Azernews. In this interview, we explore the revolutionary potential of sustainable AI and how it can transform our approach to climate change.
We uncover the innovative ways AI is being used to reduce energy consumption in technology infrastructure, boost the use of renewable energy, and track environmental changes like deforestation. Additionally, we uncover the critical role of global collaboration – between governments, technology companies and environmental organizations – in ensuring that the development of AI benefits both society and the planet.
Explaining the concept, Goyal emphasized, “It is essential to distinguish between sustainable AI and AI for sustainability. Sustainable AI is about ensuring that the development and deployment of AI is sustainable, adhering to environmental standards and, in some definitions, also ethical and social standards. , AI for Sustainability uses AI to achieve sustainability, environmental, social and governance goals.
Goyal highlighted how AI supports climate action: “AI can help reduce the carbon impact of ICT technologies, such as using smart cooling for energy-intensive servers. It can optimize energy systems by determining the most efficient times for solar or wind power. AI can track deforestation and improve system efficiency in various processes. »
He discussed technologies aimed at reducing AI’s carbon footprint, noting that “AI training has a huge carbon impact; training a medium-sized AI model consumes the equivalent of five cars over their lifetime. % of global electricity by 2030. New algorithms for efficient training and federated models help by reducing data transfer energy and placing data centers in colder regions can further reduce energy consumption. ‘energy.
On the need for collaboration, Goyal emphasized, “Collaboration is crucial. The rapid growth of AI poses regulatory and societal challenges, affecting everything from environmental impact to labor markets. International organizations like the UN and NGOs can lead collaborative efforts. For example, the UNFCCC technology mechanism includes an AI for Climate initiative with Google, Microsoft and small island developing states, although other initiatives are needed.
Reflecting on the role of the private and public sectors, he concluded: “Our organization also helps governments use AI. The commercial sector is often the first to adopt new technologies, sometimes for purposes such as marketing or data mining. It is crucial to harness the potential of AI. for the social sector and governments as well. AI shows great promise but also poses risks, so we must proceed with caution. »