“Machines That Fail Us”, Season 2, Episode 5: AI and the Climate Crisis
Behind the sleek interfaces and impressive capabilities lies a staggering demand for energy, data centers running around the clock, and complex models that require immense computational resources. This ceaseless consumption contributes to soaring carbon emissions and strains our planet’s already fragile ecosystems. In this episode we’ll try to shed light on the hidden toll of the algorithms shaping our world, exploring the urgent question: what can be done to balance rapid technological innovation with the pressing need for sustainability? Before the machines that once promised progress end up accelerating climate change, this episode invites you to rethink the future of AI, and the future of our planet.
To say that this is a fundamental conversation about any possible AI future is an understatement. The choices we make now, about how we design, deploy, and regulate these technologies will determine whether AI becomes a force for progress or a catalyst for further ecological decline. It is increasingly clear that we need to rethink not just the promise of AI, but the hidden costs it carries for our planet’s fragile climate.
In this episode of Machines That Fail Us, we discuss these issues with Noman Bashir, the Computing & Climate Impact Fellow at the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium and a researcher at the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. With him, we’ll discuss how to redefine the sustainability of computing and artificial intelligence by moving beyond the conventional focus on energy efficiency alone. To tackle these new challenges, Dr. Bashir develops systems, algorithms, and metrics that prioritize sustainability as a fundamental design principle, integrating it into both computer system architecture and operational decisions. Prior to his role at MIT, Noman completed his PhD in Computer Engineering and served as a postdoctoral researcher at UMass Amherst.
“Machines That Fail Us” S2E5 | AI and the Climate Crisis
The first season of “Machines That Fail Us” has been made possible thanks to a grant provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)’s “Agora” scheme, whereas the second one is supported by the University of St. Gallen’s Communications Department. The podcast is produced by the Media and Culture Research Group at the Institute for Media and Communications Management. Dr. Philip Di Salvo, the main host, works as a senior researcher and lecturer at the University of St.Gallen.