· Promote energy conservation

AI can be used to contribute to energy conservation. For example, it can be used to optimize industrial processes to improve material and energy utilization, optimize logistics to reduce vehicle unloading rates, optimize urban lighting and traffic, optimize the use of air conditioning and lighting in buildings according to people's work and rest time, and intelligent remote work platforms can help reduce unnecessary energy cost.
Principle: Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities

Related Principles

· Energy conservation

The development and use of AI should reduce its own energy consumption as much as possible while meeting specific needs. AI applications with high energy consumption should follow the necessary principles and alternative solutions with relatively low energy consumption should be actively explored. For example, simplifying the AI model within the acceptable range of loss, optimizing the model training method, and co design of software and hardware to achieve the expected level of intelligence with low energy consumption. The potential approach includes but is not limited to smart and low energy consumption. Considering the type and application characteristics of electric power comprehensively, and planning for rational use, where appropriate, green power are encouraged to be used, and efforts on reducing the cost of power storage should be continuously made. It is encouraged to train AI models and algorithms and deploy AI applications in areas where electric power is relatively cheap, and adopt solutions that consume less energy for server cooling as much as possible.

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities in Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

· Contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

AI can be used to contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through process optimization and monitoring technology, and help develop new materials and new processes that release less greenhouse gases. AI can be used to optimize breeds and agricultural production methods to reduce methane and nitrogen oxides in animal husbandry and agriculture. AI can be used for automatic garbage classification to recycle and obtain fuel, feed, steel and other materials, industrial raw materials, etc. in the garbage for reuse.

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities in Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

· Reducing the harm caused by climate change

AI can be used to monitor, simulate, and predict extreme climates to reduce their harm, and can be used to make rational planning for agriculture under global warming and assist in the development of crops adapted to the environment change to reduce the impact on agriculture. AI should assist urban planning so that it can cope with the impact of climate change. AI should assist in optimizing industrial processes, enabling companies to comply with green standards for sustainable development.

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities in Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

· Empower the development of energy systems

AI should contribute to the development of the energy system. AI can be used to optimize energy systems and promote green energy development. For example, AI can be used to optimize the overall design and deployment of energy systems, and improve energy efficiency. AI can also contribute to research, development and use of green energy technologies such as wind power, photovoltaics, nuclear fusion, geothermal energy, biogas, and electric fuel. Through the development of smart grid control and related technologies, AI can be used to improve the stability and reliability of the power systems.

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities in Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

6 Promote artificial intelligence that is responsive and sustainable

Responsiveness requires that designers, developers and users continuously, systematically and transparently examine an AI technology to determine whether it is responding adequately, appropriately and according to communicated expectations and requirements in the context in which it is used. Thus, identification of a health need requires that institutions and governments respond to that need and its context with appropriate technologies with the aim of achieving the public interest in health protection and promotion. When an AI technology is ineffective or engenders dissatisfaction, the duty to be responsive requires an institutional process to resolve the problem, which may include terminating use of the technology. Responsiveness also requires that AI technologies be consistent with wider efforts to promote health systems and environmental and workplace sustainability. AI technologies should be introduced only if they can be fully integrated and sustained in the health care system. Too often, especially in under resourced health systems, new technologies are not used or are not repaired or updated, thereby wasting scare resources that could have been invested in proven interventions. Furthermore, AI systems should be designed to minimize their ecological footprints and increase energy efficiency, so that use of AI is consistent with society’s efforts to reduce the impact of human beings on the earth’s environment, ecosystems and climate. Sustainability also requires governments and companies to address anticipated disruptions to the workplace, including training of health care workers to adapt to use of AI and potential job losses due to the use of automated systems for routine health care functions and administrative tasks.

Published by World Health Organization (WHO) in Key ethical principles for use of artificial intelligence for health, Jun 28, 2021