MIT AI Risk Repository · Risk Category · 41.06.00
Environment
Description
"AI is already helping to combat the impact of climate change with smart technology and sensors reducing emissions. However, it is also a key component in the development of nanobots, which could have dangerous environmental impacts by invisibly modifying substances at nanoscale."
From The Rise of Artificial Intelligence - Future Outlooks and Emerging Risks (Allianz2018), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).
Classification
- Subdomain
- 6.6 Environmental harm
- Causal entity
- AI
- Intent
- Unintentional
- Timing
- Post-deployment
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
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Other entries from Allianz2018
- Economic
- Increased income disparity
- Markets monopolization
- Political
- Biased influence through citizen screening and tailored propaganda
- Potential exploitation by totalitarian regimes
- Mobility
- Cyber security
- Liability issues in case of accidents
- Healthcare
- Alteration of social relationships may induce psychological distress
- Social manipulation in elderly- and child-care