On 7 April 2025, DevelopmentAid published an editorial highlighting the environmental impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), from the carbon-intensive training of AI models to the challenges of rare earth mining, electronic waste and biodiversity loss. DevelopmentAid is an information service specializing in international development cooperation.
The article features comments by UNU-IAS expert Anupam Khajuria (Research Fellow and Academic Associate) underscoring the importance of adopting circular economy principles to mitigate these impacts. She emphasized the need for sustainable practices throughout the AI lifecycle, greater collaboration among stakeholders and raising public awareness on the environmental costs of AI.
Excerpt:
Adopting circular economy principles can help to minimize waste and resource depletion by reusing and recycling hardware components, which extends their lifespan and reduces the need for new materials.
The editorial is available on the DevelopmentAid website.
