Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment

Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment

We are repeatedly told that AI will help us to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, from treating chronic diseases and reducing fatality rates in traffic accidents to fighting climate change and anticipating cybersecurity threats. However, the article contends that public discourse on...

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Main Author: Benedetta Brevini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-07-01
Series:Big Data & Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951720935141
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spelling doaj-cbbf5708358c48baaca9354907f640282020-11-25T03:30:57ZengSAGE PublishingBig Data & Society2053-95172020-07-01710.1177/2053951720935141Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environmentBenedetta BreviniWe are repeatedly told that AI will help us to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, from treating chronic diseases and reducing fatality rates in traffic accidents to fighting climate change and anticipating cybersecurity threats. However, the article contends that public discourse on AI systematically avoids considering AI’s environmental costs. Artificial Intelligence- Brevini argues- runs on technology, machines, and infrastructures that deplete scarce resources in their production, consumption, and disposal, thus increasing the amounts of energy in their use, and exacerbate problems of waste and pollution. It also relies on data centers, that demands impressive amounts of energy to compute, analyse, categorize. If we want to stand a chance at tackling the Climate Emergency, then we have to stop avoiding addressing the environmental problems generated by AI.https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951720935141
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Benedetta Brevini
spellingShingle Benedetta Brevini
Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
Big Data & Society
author_facet Benedetta Brevini
author_sort Benedetta Brevini
title Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
title_short Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
title_full Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
title_fullStr Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
title_full_unstemmed Black boxes, not green: Mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
title_sort black boxes, not green: mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Big Data & Society
issn 2053-9517
publishDate 2020-07-01
description We are repeatedly told that AI will help us to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, from treating chronic diseases and reducing fatality rates in traffic accidents to fighting climate change and anticipating cybersecurity threats. However, the article contends that public discourse on AI systematically avoids considering AI’s environmental costs. Artificial Intelligence- Brevini argues- runs on technology, machines, and infrastructures that deplete scarce resources in their production, consumption, and disposal, thus increasing the amounts of energy in their use, and exacerbate problems of waste and pollution. It also relies on data centers, that demands impressive amounts of energy to compute, analyse, categorize. If we want to stand a chance at tackling the Climate Emergency, then we have to stop avoiding addressing the environmental problems generated by AI.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951720935141
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