Simon Stiell insists it is vital governments regulate the technology to blunt its dangerous edges
Harnessing artificial intelligence will help the world to tackle the climate crisis, but governments must step in to regulate the technology, the UN’s climate chief has said.
AI is being used to make energy systems more efficient, and to develop tools to reduce carbon from industrial processes. The UN is also using AI as an aid to climate diplomacy.
But concerns over the vast and increasing energy requirements of large datacentres must prompt governments to act, said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change.
“AI is not a ready-made solution, and it carries risks. But it can also be a gamechanger. So we now need to blunt its dangerous edges, sharpen its catalytic ones, and put it astutely to work,” he said. “If you run a major AI platform, power it with renewables, and innovate to drive energy efficiency.”
