The Shift Project

The hidden cost of the AI boom: social and environmental exploitation

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) have been dominated by a few key concerns, such as whether superintelligent AI will wipe us out, or whether AI will steal our jobs.

Key Points: 
  • Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) have been dominated by a few key concerns, such as whether superintelligent AI will wipe us out, or whether AI will steal our jobs.
  • But we’ve paid less attention the various other environmental and social impacts of our “consumption” of AI, which are arguably just as important.

Environmental impacts of AI use

    • And although AI is currently estimated to contribute less than 1% of total carbon emissions, the AI market size is predicted to grow ninefold by 2030.
    • Data centres use water towers to cool the on-site servers where AI models are trained and deployed.
    • In a preprint published this year, Pengfei Li and colleagues presented a methodology for gauging the water footprint of AI models.
    • They did this in response to a lack of transparency in how companies evaluate the water footprint associated with using and training AI.

Social impacts of AI use

    • This is typically outsourced to independent contractors who face precarious work conditions in low-income countries, leading to “digital sweatshop” criticisms.
    • Left unchecked, AI has the potential to be used to manipulate public opinion, and by extension could undermine democratic processes.
    • The large-scale adoption of AI has the potential to worsen global wealth inequality.

Are there solutions?

    • Future generative AI models could be designed to use significantly less energy, but it’s hard to say whether they will be.
    • These would help users understand and compare the impacts of specific AI services, allowing them to choose those which have been certified.
    • China has also published rules on the use of generative AI, requiring security assessments for products offering services to the public.
    • Read more:
      EU approves draft law to regulate AI – here's how it will work

      Ascelin Gordon is employed by RMIT University.

Contentsquare Signs The Climate Pledge and Commits to Reaching Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2040 or Sooner

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 16, 2023

NEW YORK, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Contentsquare, the global leader in digital experience analytics, today announced it has signed The Climate Pledge, committing to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Contentsquare , the global leader in digital experience analytics, today announced it has signed The Climate Pledge , committing to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
  • Co-founded in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism, The Climate Pledge is a commitment by companies to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 — a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement's goal of 2050.
  • By signing The Climate Pledge, Contentsquare agrees to:
    Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
  • Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially-beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.

DeepIntent Releases Bid Efficiency and Announces Commitment to Reduce Carbon Footprint by 168 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per Year

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 22, 2023

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepIntent, the leading healthcare advertising technology company built to influence better patient health and business outcomes, today announced the platform-wide launch of Bid Efficiency, as well as its commitment to reducing its overall carbon footprint by a proportion equal to 168 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per year. This number roughly translates to 417,011 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.

Key Points: 
  • This number, equivalent to all the world's air traffic, is set to double by 2025.
  • Bid Efficiency optimizes the way the company processes bid requests to reduce the overall energy it takes to deliver against a campaign's objectives.
  • While improving clients' win rates, this free feature has helped DeepIntent increase the efficiency of processing bid requests, effectively reducing its processing of bid data by one-third as compared to in-platform campaigns not using Bid Efficiency.
  • "Facilitating the use of Sharethrough's Green Media Products to the DeepIntent users is an easy, yet impactful, way of lowering carbon emissions from programmatic campaigns."

Masonite Invests €5M in Circular Innovation Fund to Scale Breakthrough Sustainability Innovations

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 20, 2022

This investment in CIF enables Masonite to support the development of sustainable innovations within the circular economy that transcend its core business.

Key Points: 
  • This investment in CIF enables Masonite to support the development of sustainable innovations within the circular economy that transcend its core business.
  • We continually seek new ways to incorporate sustainable innovations into our products and operations at Masonite, said Clare Doyle, Chief Sustainability Officer.
  • The Circular Innovation Fund (CIF) is a global growth stage venture capital fund focused solely on circular innovation.
  • The fund invests in growth-stage companies from North America, Europe and Asia, developing breakthrough new materials, circular packaging, recycling and waste innovations, logistics, as well as eco-efficient processes & design, and circular business models.

Cycle Capital and Demeter announce first close for new Circular Innovation Fund to scale breakthrough circular solutions

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 21, 2022

"The joint-venture formed by Cycle Capital and Demeter platforms represents the perfect match for the Circular Innovation Fund investment strategy.

Key Points: 
  • "The joint-venture formed by Cycle Capital and Demeter platforms represents the perfect match for the Circular Innovation Fund investment strategy.
  • Consecutive to the first close, CIF announces indirect investment in two early-stage funds focused on circular innovation U.S.-based Closed Loop Venture Fund II and European Circular Bioeconomy Fund ("ECBF").
  • Circular Innovation FundThe Circular Innovation Fund ("CIF") is a global growth stage venture capital fund focused solely on circular innovation.
  • Cycle Capital Cycle Capital is an impact investor and leading private cleantech venture capital investment platform with $600 million under management.

CIRA commits to a greener internet through new environmental sustainability strategy

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 20, 2021

OTTAWA, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, CIRA announced its new environmental sustainability strategy to do its part to reduce the environmental impact of the organizations operations and promote a greener internet in Canada.

Key Points: 
  • OTTAWA, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, CIRA announced its new environmental sustainability strategy to do its part to reduce the environmental impact of the organizations operations and promote a greener internet in Canada.
  • The environmental sustainability strategy encompasses three pillars: green workplace, green operations and green internet.
  • In the first year of its strategy, CIRA is prioritizing sustainability in its operations, which includes accurately measuring environmental impact across CIRAs global data centres.
  • As a member-based, mission-driven not-for-profit, CIRA also has a much broader goal to promote a trusted internet for Canadians.

Protect the Hourly Workforce and Keep Businesses Open With Deputy's Schedule Safely Checklist

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 18, 2021

With the launch of the Schedule Safely Checklist, we are leveling the playing field for hourly workersby empowering business owners to protect their workforce and community."

Key Points: 
  • With the launch of the Schedule Safely Checklist, we are leveling the playing field for hourly workersby empowering business owners to protect their workforce and community."
  • Deputy's Schedule Safely Checklist helps business owners leverage Deputy to confirm the vaccination and testing status of their workforce, where permitted by law.
  • To learn how to set up Vaccination Training or COVID-19 Attestation Pre-Shift Questions, visit Deputy's Schedule Safely Checklist blog post.
  • Deputy's software helps businesses navigate workforce legislation including wages, overtime, entitlements and penalties providing businesses with tools to simplify compliance and build a thriving workplace.

Leading Canadian organizations commit to cut rising emissions from digital technologies

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 17, 2021

But energy demand from digital technologies is increasing six times faster than the rest of the economy due to the growth of remote working, streaming services and the widespread use of data-hungry artificial intelligence.

Key Points: 
  • But energy demand from digital technologies is increasing six times faster than the rest of the economy due to the growth of remote working, streaming services and the widespread use of data-hungry artificial intelligence.
  • As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made clear last week, the climate crisis is a code-red for humanity.
  • Time is fast running out to act on emissions, and Canadas leading public and private-sector organizations are stepping up to the plate.
  • The pledge signatories are all members of the CIO Strategy Council, a non-profit that brings together Canadas leading businesses and public-sector organizations to act on the challenges posed by the digital economy.