Benedetta Brevini - Is AI Good for the Planet?

1 Cover

2 Series Page Digital Futures Series Benedetta Brevini, Is AI Good for the Planet? Axel Bruns, Are Filter Bubbles Real? Richard Maxwell & Toby Miller, How Green Is Your Smartphone? Milton Mueller, Will the Internet Fragment? Neil Selwyn, Should Robots Replace Teachers? Neil Selwyn, Is Technology Good for Education?

3 Title Page Is AI Good for the Planet? BENEDETTA BREVINI polity

4 Copyright Copyright © Benedetta Brevini 2022 The right of Benedetta Brevini to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in 2022 by Polity Press Polity Press 65 Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK Polity Press 101 Station Landing Suite 300 Medford, MA 02155, USA All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4796-8 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition. For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com

5 Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been inspired, shocked and challenged by the company of many scholars, environmental activists, artists and thinkers when writing this book. I am most grateful for the intellectual generosity of the people who have read portions of this manuscript and supported me on this journey. First and foremost my wonderful friend and editor in chief, Fiona Giles, whose literary and academically rigorous comments helped to keep me focused, at a time when the world seemed to be falling apart during the pandemic. I am also grateful to a group of women who are a constant inspiration to me, for their activism, strength and integrity: Vicky Mayer, Alana Mann, Priscilla Karant, Terry Woronov, Lyn Hsieh, Sarah Gong, Lucia Sorbera, Laura Forlano, Melinda Rankin and Felicity Ruby. I am grateful for the feedback I received from Graham Murdock, and our constant exchanges – Graham is the best mentor in the world. I’m also grateful to Frank Pasquale for our numerous conversations on AI, public interest and our beloved political economy. My unbounded thanks to Mary Savigar at Polity Press for believing in this project since its start and whose thoughtful comments helped bring the manuscript to life. Finally, a special thank you to my family, for the love I always received and for giving me the strength, values and determination to always fight for a more just world.

6 Introduction The climate crisis is here to stay

7 1 Defining AI: Beyond the HypeThe promises of artificial intelligence Global consultancies promise: Automating industry, boosting profits Maximizing profits through AI: From the United States to China, excluding the developing world Why techno-solutionism will not fix the world: AI as ‘mover’ of capital accumulation Falling in love with technological determinism The promise to stop the climate crisis: An AI for the environment Beyond the awe and hype, what exactly is artificial intelligence? Machine learning and deep learning Artificial intelligence as material technologies: Machines, cables, dust, devices Notes

8 2 Controlling AI: Understanding Data CapitalismData capitalism and AI: The indissoluble marriage The most powerful AI companies in the United States And what about the most powerful AI companies in China? Who controls AI controls the debate Notes

9 3 Why AI Worsens the Climate Crisis Computational power and algorithms Energy and data centre carbon footprint Additional environmental costs of data centres Artificial intelligence, uberconsumerism and waste AI runs on devices: The carbon footprint of information and communication technologies Energy and waste disposal Pushing fossil fuel extractionism Notes

10 Conclusion: AI and the Climate Crisis What can we do? A final word Notes

11 References

12 Index

13 End User License Agreement

1 Cover

2 Table of Contents

3 Series Page

4 Title Page

5 Copyright

6 Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been inspired, shocked and challenged by the company of many scholars, environmental activists, artists and thinkers when writing this book. I am most grateful for the intellectual generosity of the people who have read portions of this manuscript and supported me on this journey. First and foremost my wonderful friend and editor in chief, Fiona Giles, whose literary and academically rigorous comments helped to keep me focused, at a time when the world seemed to be falling apart during the pandemic. I am also grateful to a group of women who are a constant inspiration to me, for their activism, strength and integrity: Vicky Mayer, Alana Mann, Priscilla Karant, Terry Woronov, Lyn Hsieh, Sarah Gong, Lucia Sorbera, Laura Forlano, Melinda Rankin and Felicity Ruby. I am grateful for the feedback I received from Graham Murdock, and our constant exchanges – Graham is the best mentor in the world. I’m also grateful to Frank Pasquale for our numerous conversations on AI, public interest and our beloved political economy. My unbounded thanks to Mary Savigar at Polity Press for believing in this project since its start and whose thoughtful comments helped bring the manuscript to life. Finally, a special thank you to my family, for the love I always received and for giving me the strength, values and determination to always fight for a more just world.

7 Introduction

8 Begin Reading

9 Conclusion: AI and the Climate Crisis

10 References

11 Index

12 End User License Agreement

1 Chapter 1 Figure 1.1:Visual distinction between AI, machine learning and deep learning

2 Chapter 3 Figure 3.1:Comparing carbon footprints: Carbon-intensive activities versus AI language mode…

1 ii

2 iii

3 iv

4 vi

5 vii

6 1

7 2

8 3

9 4

10 5

11 6

12 7

13 8

14 9

15 10

16 11

17 12

18 13

19 14

20 15

21 16

22 17

23 18

24 19

25 20

26 21

27 22

28 23

29 24

30 25

31 26

32 27

33 28

34 29

35 30

36 31

37 32

38 33

39 34

40 35

41 36

42 37

43 38

44 39

45 40

46 41

47 42

48 43

49 44

50 45

51 46

52 47

53 48

54 49

55 50

56 51

57 52

58 53

59 54

60 55

61 56

62 57

63 58

64 59

65 60

66 61

67 62

68 63

69 64

70 65

71 66

72 67

73 68

74 69

75 70

76 71

77 72

78 73

79 74

80 75

81 76

82 77

83 78

84 79

85 80

86 81

87 82

88 83

89 84

90 85

91 86

92 87

93 88