Indirect Material Harms
The development and operation of AI systems causing environmental harm, such as through energy consumption of data centers, or material and carbon footprints associated with AI hardware.
"AI proliferation causes harm to the environment through energy use and e-waste thereby destroying animal habitat"(p. 12)
Supporting Evidence (2)
"Infrastructure supporting AI is materially impactful, and the effects of climate change may be the most significant. AI models are often computationally expensive and generate significant carbon emissions (Coeckelbergh, 2021; Schwartz et al., 2020), causing potentially massive effects on living things."(p. 19)
"AI applications can also accelerate personalised advertising, fuelling further production and consumption of material goods. They can help locate the hardest to find fossil fuels, build better factories, and intensify existing impacts of indus- trial technology. Such outcomes heighten climate change and habitat loss (Clutton- Brock et al., 2021)."(p. 19)
Part of Unintentional: indirect
Other risks from Coghlan & Parker (2023) (11)
Intentional: socially condemned/illegal
6.6 Environmental harmIntentional: socially condemned/illegal > AI intentionally designed and used to harm animals in ways that contradict social values or are illegal
6.6 Environmental harmIntentional: socially condemned/illegal > AI designed to benefit animals, humans, or ecosystems is intentionally abused to harm animals in ways that contradict social values or are illegal
6.6 Environmental harmIntentional: socially accepted/legal
6.6 Environmental harmUnintentional: direct
6.6 Environmental harmUnintentional: direct > AI is designed in a way that shows ignorant, reckless, or prejudiced lack of consideration for its impact on animals
6.6 Environmental harm