We’ve already explored the importance of learning AI skills for discernment, avoiding misinformation, and even dipped a toe into the world of machine learning and pattern recognition. This month, we’re asking: can AI be part of Tech For Good?
Eco-conscious technologies and innovations are essential if society is ever going to move closer to meeting sustainability goals and eventually approach a circular economy. Yet most reports reviewing AI and the environment veer toward the negative. Let’s take a look at why it’s important that children and young people learn about the potential environmental ramifications of AI, and how to potentially circumvent them.
The Story so Far: Generative AI’s Impact
Key concerns raised about the use of generative AI include the sheer volume of power and water consumed by ever-expanding data centres. Factors impacting how resource-intensive generative AI is include:
- Cooling for “Big Data”: AI tools require immense data centres in order to process the amounts of information needed to train the large language models (LLMs) that are the core of their functionality. These data centres are cooled using water, and the UK government predicts that globally, AI could be consuming the equivalent of half the country’s water supply by 2027.
- A demand for speed: Users expect answers to be almost instantaneous, so AI models are driven to work faster and process more data than ever, consuming more power as they do.
- Competitiveness: Every AI owner wants to be the tool of choice, so OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Claude, and others will all expand their data centres relentlessly to claim that top spot.
Beyond the intensive resource consumption, there are also ethical concerns about the use of AI. Some generative AI models are known to carry bias, and many are trained on text and imagery without the creators’ consent. While this may seem like blatant theft of intellectual property, there is very little legal regulation around AI training.
Tech for Good: Where Does AI Fit?
With the outlook so worrying, the big question remains: Can generative AI be a part of Tech for Good? Yes, particularly if our young people are encouraged to use AI mindfully and with the potential consequences in mind.
Take air travel as an analogy. Many people fly to other countries, whether for holidays, business, or to see family. But you wouldn’t fly to work every single day. Even if that were convenient or practical, the cost to the environment of everyone flying short distances would be appalling.
You can apply a similar mindset to generative AI. Rather than using it for every snippet of text, every image, and every brainstorming session, revel in human creativity and use GenAI only when necessary.
Uses of GenAI currently benefiting people include:
- The generation of image captions for vision-impaired people
- Generating shopping or chore lists for people with neurological conditions
- Transcribing conversations for those with hearing impairments or processing disorders
- AI-powered tools that scan websites and apps for accessibility issues
Clearly, AI can be a force for good. But problems can occur when people become too reliant on AI tools, for example, treating ChatGPT like a therapist or even a “best friend.” There’s no guarantee that your data is private when using these tools. But also, AI chatbots don’t understand the impact of their responses, which can contribute to deteriorating mental health. AI simply can’t, at this time, replace the advice of a medical professional.
However, a team of medical professionals can absolutely integrate AI into their tools to make them work smarter and faster for their end users. Uses of AI in healthcare already include:
- Summarizing existing patient data and notes
- Analysis of images, e.g., in cancer diagnosis
- Reducing administrative burdens on clinical personnel
- Customized treatment recommendations (with human oversight)
- Drug development
Taking the capabilities of AI and focusing them in beneficial directions could shift this emerging technology from harmful to helpful.
Redressing the Environmental Balance
What better way for AI to become a serious contender in the Tech for Good field than in the fight against climate change? And, excitingly, that’s already happening.
AI is indicated as a potential tool for predicting and mapping sea ice in polar regions, a major indicator of the severity of climate change. Flood forecasting technology from Google combines AI and publicly available data on water flow and weather to help warn people of natural disasters up to a week before they occur. AI is even being used to monitor and potentially improve biodiversity and protect wildlife. By making positive changes to the climate and environment, AI could effectively offset its own impact.
By 2030, without “green” interventions, AI data centres could be responsible for 30% of the planet’s energy consumption. Helping kids and young people understand the environmental and ethical impacts of AI helps them make genuinely informed decisions on when and how to use this technology.
For kids excited about getting hands-on with technology, knowing now that AI could be performing better in terms of sustainability could inspire them to be the problem solvers of the future, developing carbon-neutral AI solutions that make life better for everyone.
At Girls Into Coding events, girls aged 10-14 from diverse backgrounds collaborate on exciting tech and engineering projects. From AI to engineering, coding to 3D printing, they discover digital skills, soft skills, and gain new levels of confidence. Find out how we’re transforming the girls in tech of today into the women in STEM of tomorrow.
