An event by the Weizenbaum Institute. Introductory text by the organizers:
Can AI really help save the planet—or is it just another resource-hungry illusion? Join us as we explore the promises, pitfalls, and real-world impacts of „sustainable AI.“ Together with Paris Marx and Paul Schütze, we’ll question the dominant narratives and uncover whether this revolutionary technology can truly drive ecological transformation, or if it merely reinforces the status quo. Be part of the critical conversation shaping our digital and sustainable future.
In the light of ambitions to shape sustainable societies, where the needs of all present human beings as well as future generations are met within the planetary ecological boundaries, promising approaches and solutions are desperately needed. The search especially includes the use of digital tools like artificial intelligence (AI), which is currently considered a “game-changer” and “revolutionary” technology in the fight against climate change by policy-makers, technologists and international organizations alike.
At the same time countless new AI data centers are built around the globe increasingly consuming electricity, water, space and other scarce resources. Since the promises of sustainable AI largely rely on narratives of efficiency and progress we want to shed light on those narratives as well as the actual suitability and practical impacts of such approaches. We want to discuss, if and how sustainable AI can be a leap forward in the sustainability project or if it is rather the technical solution to the climate crisis from a techno-solutionist vantage point simply reproducing the status quo.
In two talks and a panel we want to investigate the promised and actual impacts of sustainable AI as well as the ideological foundations behind an impactful emerging academic, political and economic topic.
Schedule
- 4pm: Introduction, Nicolas Zehner (WI)
- 4:05pm – 4:40pm: Input from Paul Schütze, Osnabrück University, Germany
- 4:40pm – 5:20pm: Input from Paris Marx, journalist and host of the „Tech Won’t Save Us“ podcast, Canada
- 5:20pm – 6pm: Panel with Paris Marx, Paul Schütze, Jana Pannier (WI) & Rainer Rehak (WI)
- 6pm: informal get-together
More information and the registration form can be found here.
