Black boxes, not green: mythologizing artificial intelligence and omitting the environment
Open accessAbstract
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.
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AI involves establishing heavy energy dependency due to intensive use of innovative technologies, increasing environmental impacts, extending car traveling distance, and causing urban sprawl.
“AI involves establishing heavy energy dependency due to the intensive use of innovative technologies, increasing environmental impacts [[280], [281]], extending car traveling distance, and causing urban sprawl [249].”
From Smarter eco-cities and their leading-edge artificial intelligence of things solutions for environmental sustainability: A comprehensive systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as [280]
The systems, machines, and infrastructures associated with AI 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.
“The systems, machines, and infrastructures associated with AI “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” (Brevini 2020).”
From Environmentally sustainable smart cities and their converging AI, IoT, and big data technologies and solutions: an integrated approach to an extensive literature review (2023) · cites this paper as Brevini 2020
AI has been enshrined in dominant narratives as the battleground for global dominance and progress, hailed as the key marker of victory, and the opportunity of the future, thereby selling it as a virtue and a public good.
“AI has been enshrined in dominant narratives as “the battleground for global dominance and progress…hailed as the key marker of victory…and the opportunity of the future—and thereby selling it as a virtue and a public good” (Brevini 2020).”
From Environmentally sustainable smart cities and their converging AI, IoT, and big data technologies and solutions: an integrated approach to an extensive literature review (2023) · cites this paper as Brevini 2020
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References 17 · Cited by 158
- Authors
- Brevini, B.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Brevini, Benedetta
- ORCID
- Brevini, Benedetta
- Venue
- Big Data & Society
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-07
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- ISSN
- 2053-9517 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3039799152
- Cited by
- 158
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 2
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Big Data & Society (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Green IT and Sustainability
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence, environmental costs of AI, climate crisis, data centers, energy consumption, resource depletion, waste and pollution, public discourse on AI, green AI, environmental ethics
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