| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Panel Session
AI and Sustainability
Panel Members
Sustainability is a topical and long term concern. In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Many of us would probably go further, and include not just people, but other species too. Clearly climate change is closely related to sustainability, which some regard as a threat not just to people, but to other inhabitants of this planet as well. Artificial Intelligence is potentially part of both the problem and the solution. For example, many CPU and GPU intensive machine-learning applications use significant amounts of energy. On the flip-side, AI algorithms may help us understand global warming, or optimise energy use. In this discussion, we intend to consider how AI may hinder sustainability, and how that may be mitigated, as well as how AI may contribute to sustainability, and how that may be enhanced. These discussions may range from the technical, such as identifying particularly beneficial algorithms, through to policy regulations and best practice. If the technology permits, we may take a vote with the audience on whether or not AI is a net contributor to, or detractor from, sustainability.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
