EDGES Talk
Can AI Save the Amazon? The Politics of AI Environmentalism in Colombia
- Date
- Thursday 3 April 2025
- Time
- Location
- KOG
- Room
- B0.20
Abstract
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for environmental purposes is gaining momentum. While such initiatives offer the potential to identify patterns and enhance efficiency, critical questions remain over their capacity to address environmental justice. Exploring this concern, this talk turns to AI projects taking place in Colombia. While Microsoft and Huawei seek to combat deforestation in the Amazon, a small-scale scientific initiative involving local peasants aim at protecting an endangered plant species in the high Andes. Drawing on political ecology, two models of AI environmentalism are identified: top-down and engaged. While the latter is better positioned to address the injustices underpinning environmental harm, both models shed light on relevant power asymmetries surrounding the application of AI for environmental purposes.