Balancing Artificial Intelligence and Environmental Sustainability

From detecting deforestation to tracking ocean health, AI enables insights and efficiencies that were previously impossible to achieve manually. The FAO’s Global Forest resources Assessment in 2020 noted that, despite a slowing rate of deforestation over the last decade, an estimated 10 million hectares of forest are still being lost each year. Experts are now combining satellite imagery and AI to pinpoint areas being cleared, helping to track illegal logging and protect biodiversity. Space Intelligence, a NatureTech company based in Scotland, uses satellite data, machine learning and ecological science to support forest conservation efforts.  
 
Another major environmental issue beyond land is the estimated 171 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world’s oceans, a figure that could triple by 2040 if no action is taken. The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit engineering organisation, has integrated AI as one of the tools used to help eliminate plastic pollution from the world’s oceans and rivers. Its goal is to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.  

 

While AI may seem invisible, it is powered by sprawling data centres that consume huge amounts of energy and water and rely on resource-intensive mineral extraction. Driven in part by the rapid growth of AI, the number of data centres has surged to, 8 million from 500,000 in 2012, and technology’s demands on the planet will continue to rise as advancements accelerate. The electronics inside these data centres have a heavy material footprint. Producing a 2kg computer can require as much as 800kg of raw materials. Electronic waste is another major arising in data centres, as discarded equipment often contains hazardous substances such as mercury and lead. AI also requires a significant amount of energy, which in many regions still comes from burning fossil fuels, contributing to climate warming greenhouse gas emissions. Although global data remains limited, data centres are estimated to consume around 2.5% of the UK’s electricity, a figure projected to quadruple by 2030 as AI use grows. 

 

As AI continues to transform how we monitor and protect our planet, its potential comes with significant responsibility. Greener AI practices are no longer optional. They are essential. By aligning innovation with sustainability, we can ensure AI not only helps solve today's environmental challenges, but does so without creating new ones, using technology as an ally for the planet.