by Rosana John, LLM (Environmental Law and Policy)
As we observe World Environment Day, it is worth pausing to reflect on the jarring irony at the heart of our modern technological landscape.
Imagine being scolded for leaving the tap running while the factory next door is draining the river dry! That is how it feels to live in the Caribbean today: urged to reduce, reuse, and recycle, while the world’s wealthiest nations deploy artificial intelligence at a pace that strains the planet’s resources far beyond our own modest footprints.
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) can effortlessly summarise social media threads or predict our next favourite show, we must ask: Is the pervasive integration of AI into every facet of our lives truly necessary?
For Caribbean nations, which are acutely vulnerable to climate change, facing rising sea levels, intensified weather events, and biodiversity loss, this question transcends philosophical debate; it becomes a matter of survival. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, our region bears a disproportionate burden of climate impacts.
AI undeniably offers promising solutions that can benefit both the environment and people’s lives. For example, it can support early warning systems that help communities prepare for extreme weather events, optimise climate-smart agriculture to sustain food production, and improve the efficiency and delivery of essential public services. Indeed, I utilised AI to assist in proofreading this article, saving me time. However, even as a beneficiary, I harbour concerns, not about AI’s existence, but about its unchecked and nearly compulsive deployment.
Training a single large AI model, such as GPT-3, can emit over 500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide comparable to the annual emissions of over 100 gasoline-powered cars.[1]. In 2022, data centres and data transmission networks consumed approximately 460 terawatt-hours of electricity, accounting for about 2% of global electricity demand.[2] Moreover, hyperscale data centres utilise billions of litres of freshwater annually for cooling purposes[3]. The ecological cost of powering and cooling the infrastructure behind AI is escalating rapidly, yet it garners only a fraction of the attention afforded to more visible emission sources.
Caribbean states must stand firm, holding the developed world accountable for its role in driving AI’s environmental and social costs. We must demand that the nations hosting the servers and home to the major tech corporations adopt agile, fit-for-purpose regulations that keep pace with this rapidly evolving technology. These regulations should demand transparency in energy and water use, enforce rigorous environmental impact assessments, and establish international standards that put people and planet first.
If we are truly committed to sustainability, we cannot stop at recycling bins and solar panels. This is not a call to abandon AI tools like ChatGPT. It is a demand to confront the unchecked and reckless spread of AI into every corner of our lives, driven by profit rather than purpose, and to recognise the substantial environmental costs that too many of us are unaware of. My hope is that this article ignites dialogue especially in regions like ours, where climate vulnerability necessitates that we pose more challenging questions, rather than merely accepting more intelligent answers.
Rosana John is an Attorney-at-Law with a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law and Policy from UCL, which she pursued through a Chevening Scholarship. During her academic tenure, her research focused on identifying equitable and practical sources of finance to mitigate Loss and Damage, a contribution that garnered her the Maxi Alexander Prise for Research in Environmental Law and Policy in 2018.
Presently, she spearheads Dentons Delany’s Caribbean-wide ESG Steering Committee, where she provides strategic guidance to corporations on implementing sustainability best practices.
[1] https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2023/06/09/ais-growing-carbon-footprint/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2] https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024/executive-summary?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[3] https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ai-data-center-growth-deepens-water-security-concerns-in-high-stress-states-report/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Absolutely 100% agree! Nowadays our knee-jerk response is to ChatGPT on every little question that pops up, yet we are quick to point fingers at airlines and cars.