Artificial intelligence can help us to better protect the environment, but we must at the same time counter its negative impact on the environment, emphasized David Eray (Switzerland, EPP/CCE), Congress Spokesperson for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), at the Council of Europe session of the Internet Governance Forum 2023 in Kyoto (Japan). 

The Congress Spokesperson underlined that AI technologies can be “game changers”, optimising the use of energy and making it more sober.  Also, AI systems can be used to forecast air pollution and to track pollution sources and prevent and respond swiftly to wildfires, droughts and storms. But it is essential to reduce the carbon footprint of artificial intelligence and to develop AI models with sustainable energy and water consumption.   

The practice shows that cities and regions are leading the change in developing AI governance frameworks and implementing AI policies.