Policy Brief
Taking (Policy) Action to Enhance the Sustainability of AI Systems
With more and more resources being expended on developing and applying Artificial Intelligence technologies, it is increasingly important to understand the impact these technologies are having on the environment. Our report recommends how to make crucial information about such technologies publicly available.
The absence of publicly available information hampers the development and enactment of effective policies. Only a comprehensive life cycle analysis can ensure that the environmental footprint is adequately captured. Already today, companies can automatically log and report much of the data needed to assess the sustainability of AI systems, such as operational data from computer systems – e.g. how often calculations are performed and how long such processes take. This metadata, for example stored in a spreadsheet, can then be used to generate efficiency metrics.
Read our report to learn more about necessary measures to ensure AI systems' sustainability:
Authors: Rohde, Friederike; Mollen, Anne; Meyer, Andreas; Wagner, Josephin; Marken, Gesa; Frick, Vivian; Schmelzle, Frieder; Engel, Lina
Read more on our policy & advocacy work on ADM and sustainability.