The question of the role of artificial intelligence in the ecological transition is currently facing structural tension. On the one hand, the accelerated development of AI technologies is generating increasing energy and material consumption, the trajectories of which have been the subject of an in-depth analysis. in a previous report. On the other hand, these same technologies are presented as potentially powerful tools in the service of decarbonization, the preservation of ecosystems and the optimization of resources. It is this second dimension that this report intends to examine.
In this second report on AI (in French), Lucie Zhang explores the use of AI as a lever to accelerate the ecological transition, by analyzing the various existing AI technologies and possible application sectors for the transition. Finally, this report also highlights the challenges associated with deploying AI, from its energy impact to the reliability of data, including the explainability of models.