Understanding AI’s Impact on Sustainability
AI presents both opportunities and challenges for sustainability. On one hand, it can optimize processes, reduce waste, and promote efficient resource use, such as optimizing energy in buildings or predicting climate events. On the other hand, the energy-intensive nature of AI, particularly in data centers, can lead to increased carbon emissions. Research from recent reports, such as MIT Technology Review Explains Big Tech Climate Claims, highlights that companies like Google and Amazon are facing rising emissions due to AI, with Google’s emissions up 48% since 2019 and Microsoft’s up 30% since 2020, largely due to data center expansion. This one-sentence description, “AI is a double-edged sword for sustainability, offering innovative solutions while also contributing to increased energy consumption,” captures this complexity effectively.
Given this, Colleague AI is at the forefront of transforming education through technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). However, with great power comes great responsibility, especially concerning environmental sustainability. As we look to big tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon for inspiration, we can see both the challenges and opportunities in balancing AI development with sustainability goals. This blog outlines how we—as an Edtech startup— integrate the following specific actions into our product development and service offerings.
Strategy 1. Monitoring Energy Efficiency: Modeling After Big Tech Companies
According to DitchCarbon data, the education services industry demonstrates remarkably low carbon intensity compared to other sectors. Education technology companies maintain a relatively small carbon footprint compared to other industries, making EdTech a notably sustainable sector despite the growing integration of AI and digital technologies in educational services. Despite this small carbon footprint, we actively monitor and optimize our energy efficiency.
Big tech companies provide a blueprint for monitoring energy efficiency, which EdTech startups can adapt. For instance, Microsoft has set a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, while Google aims for net-zero by the same year, as detailed in their respective sustainability pages, Microsoft Sustainability and Google Sustainability. However, their AI investments have led to significant emissions increases, as noted in NPR Report on AI Emissions. To mitigate this, companies are investing in renewable energy and optimizing data centers, with strategies like power-capping hardware and improving training efficiency, as seen in MIT News on Reducing AI Energy Use.
For the EdTech startup, monitoring energy efficiency involves tracking the energy consumption of AI models and comparing different models for specific instructional and learning tasks. This includes evaluating models based on energy per query or carbon footprint per user session, as suggested by MIT Sloan on AI Data Center Energy Costs. Colleague AI can use tools like those developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory to reduce energy use by up to 80% during model training, ensuring we select the most energy-efficient yet high-quality models for tasks like personalized learning or content generation.
Strategy 2. Developing Educational Materials: A Focus on Sustainability and AI
Developing educational materials is one important action for us, introducing educators and students environmental sustainability, AI’s role in climate and environmental issues, and its impact on societal and human intelligence, particularly critical thinkingand creativity. Research from UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development emphasizes integrating sustainability into education, empowering learners with skills for a sustainable future. Colleague AI platform features science education materials that discuss human sustainability in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Colleague AI will continue to create courses, modules, and resources on topics like “Introduction to Sustainability,” “AI and Environmental Impact,” and “Critical Thinking in the AI Era,” integrated into their platform. These materials will be designed for both educators and students, using AI to personalize learning experiences, as seen in Microsoft Sustainability Learning Center. For example, AI can adapt content to student needs, fostering engagement on climate change and sustainability, while also addressing how AI affects human intelligence, such as enhancing or potentially diminishing critical thinking skills if not used appropriately, as discussed in our recent blog: Fostering Critical Thinking through Active Engagement between Teachers, Students, and AI Tools.
Strategy 3. Partnering with Schools and Educators to Promote Educational Efficiency and Eco-Conscious Behaviors
Personalizing learning to promote eco-conscious behaviors is one key action, leveraging AI to tailor educational experiences. We use AI to analyze student data and provide recommendations for learning paths focused on learning efficiency and sustainability. Gamified elements, like rewards for eco-friendly actions, can motivate students, as suggested by LinkedIn Article on Sustainability Education. We will implement such program early on, encouraging students to practice sustainable behaviors like energy conservation, tracking progress through AI-driven dashboards. This not only educates but also empowers students to be eco-warriors, as highlighted in Omdena on AI and Environmental Sustainability.
Through strategic collaborations with K-12 schools and educators, we will develop comprehensive implementation plans that ensure these educational strategies achieve their intended outcomes. These partnerships will involve regular consultation meetings, professional development sessions, and ongoing support systems to facilitate smooth integration of new practices into existing school frameworks.
To enhance school operations, our team will collaborate closely with administrative staff and school leaders to analyze current instructional practices and student learning progression to identify areas for improvement. By implementing data-driven approaches, such as tracking student progress metrics and instructional strategies, schools can make more informed decisions about resource allocation and program effectiveness. Additionally, we will assist schools in adopting evidence-based management practices that have been proven successful in similar educational settings, including systematic program evaluation methods, structured feedback loops, and continuous improvement protocols.
Strategy 4. Building Trust: Transparency and Reporting
Transparency is essential for building trust, and the startup will periodically report on its sustainability efforts. We will product report that details our progress on the above three actions. This aligns with our commitment to keeping users informed, ensuring accountability and demonstrating leadership in sustainable EdTech.
Conclusion
By following these steps—monitoring energy efficiency, developing educational materials, partnering with educators and parents to promote educational efficiency and eco-conscious behaviors, and ensuring transparency through reporting—Colleague AI can not only lead in educational innovation but also in sustainable practices.
Key Citations:
- Google, Amazon, and the problem with Big Tech’s climate claims – MIT Technology Review
- AI & Sustainability: A Double-Edged Sword – LinkedIn
- Coursera Organization Profile – DitchCarbon
- Google Sustainability– Google
- Integrating Sustainability in Education: Empowering Future Change Makers – LinkedIn
- AI for Sustainability Learning Center – Microsoft
- Microsoft Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability – Microsoft
- New tools available to reduce energy that AI models devour – MIT News
- AI has high data center energy costs. There are solutions – MIT Sloan School of Management
- Human Sustainability – Next Generation Science Standards
- AI brings soaring emissions for Google and Microsoft – NPR
- Education for Sustainable Development– United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Environmental Sustainability and AI: A Synergistic Approach for a Greener Future for Companies – Omdena
