Environmental damage

Classification

Domain

6. Socioeconomic & Environmental

Subdomain

6.6 Environmental harm

Causal entity

AI

Intent

Unintentional

Timing

Other

Subdomain definition: The development and operation of AI systems causing environmental harm, such as through energy consumption of data centers, or material and carbon footprints associated with AI hardware.

Real-world incidents in this subdomain

• 5 Jun 2024xAI Allegedly Operates Unpermitted Methane Turbines in Memphis to Power Supercomputer Colossus to Train Grok

How other frameworks describe this risk

• Natural resource depletion

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Excessive water consumption

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Excessive energy consumption

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Excessive landfill

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Electronic waste

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Carbon emissions

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Biodiversity loss

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

• Pollution

  A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024)

Other entries from Weidinger2023

• Representation & Toxicity Harms Risk Category · 1.0
• Unfair representation Risk Sub-Category · 1.1
• Unfair capability distribution Risk Sub-Category · 1.3
• Toxic content Risk Sub-Category · 1.2
• Misinformation Harms Risk Category · 3.0
• Propagating misconceptions/ false beliefs Risk Sub-Category · 3.1
• Erosion of trust in public information Risk Sub-Category · 1.1
• Pollution of information ecosystem Risk Sub-Category · 3.2
• Information & Safety Harms Risk Category · 2.1
• Privacy infringement Risk Sub-Category · 2.1
• Dissemination of dangerous information Risk Sub-Category · 2.1
• Malicious Use Risk Category · 4.0