AI Pledge Unveiled Ahead of COP31 to Fight the Climate Crisis, as Experts Question How Effective It Will Be
The organisers of the COP31 conference have moved to put artificial intelligence (AI) technology to work against the effects of climate change. A new commitment called the 'Antalya Artificial Intelligence (AI) Pledge' has been published ahead of the conference.
Released before the COP31 conference to be held next month, the pledge aims to present AI as a possible solution in tackling the climate crisis. It speaks of building environmentally friendly AI infrastructure and developing AI technology responsibly.
The pledge sets ambitious targets for sustainable AI infrastructure and responsible technology development. At the same time, it stresses that the development and use of AI should not create additional pressure on the environment.
However, industry experts have raised questions about how these targets would be implemented. A key concern is that the pledge is voluntary: there is no binding condition requiring participating parties to meet the targets, creating uncertainty about how effective the declared goals will be in practice.
The rapid spread of AI technology is already putting pressure on electricity supply systems around the world. As the use of generative AI grows, demand for the computing infrastructure it needs is also rising, and running that infrastructure requires vast amounts of electricity.
As a result, experts say a fundamental conflict is emerging between AI's growing energy demand and the urgent need to protect the environment. Even if AI is used to solve environmental problems, the electricity and infrastructure needed to run the technology may themselves add pressure on the environment, leaving questions about the initiative's effectiveness.
A report by EDIE, a news outlet covering the environment and sustainable business, said the new pledge seeks to establish AI as part of the climate solution. But how much change the declared targets can actually bring will depend on effective steps taken beyond the pledge itself.
